Liz's Linguine with Shrimp and Broccoli Rabe
My friend's mom, Liz, is one of the best home cooks I know. She is Sicilian-American like I am, and she makes everything from scratch – even her own ricotta and pasta. For Christmas Eve last year, she decided to make a dish I'll call Linguine with Shrimp and Rabe. She cooked all three ingredients separately, and in typical style of someone over 40, she overcooked the rabe so that when the dish came together, it was nice and mushy and delicious, almost like a soup. I decided to make it and cook the rabe a little less, but I honestly liked her version better!
This dish goes well served with a nice Roasted Tomato Bruschetta first, or alongside.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch rabe
- 4 tablespoons EVOO, divided
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 dozen shrimp
- 1 pound linguine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Wash and chop the rabe into one-inch pieces. Steam them in 2 inches of boiling water in a medium size pot until just tender, about 5 minutes. This helps to remove the bitterness of the rabe. Drain when done and sauté in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, garlic and the red pepper flakes.
Clean the shrimp and remove the tails, unless your fish monger has already done so (lucky you). Heat the rest of the EVOO in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is cooked through and pink, about 3 minutes a side, turning them over after the first 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the linguine until al dente, about a minute less than the package says. Once cooked, drain, but save 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water.
When the above three ingredients are ready, add the linguine and rabe to the shrimp over medium heat, along with the chicken stock. Stir together and cover for a minute to blend the flavors together and finish cooking the pasta. If this is too dry, you can add the extra pasta cooking water as well.
Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
