Rapini Al'arrabiata

My mouth watered for a spicy pasta meal. Old habits and food addictions die hard. It was Sunday and there was no pasta in the house. The only noodles I buy are organic buckwheat soba noodles. While they are wonderful, that really wasn't what I had in mind. They always say Asian influence to me. I was in the mood for Southern Italian.

I had a lovely large head of fresh rapini in the fridge. In one of the recent food magazines, I'd read about penne with greens and while the recipe had no red sauce, I thought wanted it all. Greens, pasta and a spicy red sauce.

I will say that the longer I'm careful about what I eat, the easier it is to overcome these sudden food urges. Not only do I like to lead by example, but I've had the daily experience of high energy, clear mind, soft skin, and best of all, vibrant health. Why would I want to undermine all I've achieved?

I made a decision to go with the spicy sauce—ah, yes—a cooked meal. But a vegetarian, whole foods meal. I made an easy sauce,see below. Then lightly steamed the rapini long enough to soften the stems a bit, then removed the lid from the dutch oven and let the water evaporate. I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to the bottom of the pot and let the greens sauté a bit, adding salt and pepper.

I plated the dish with a spoonful of sauce, then a generous heaping of the greens, topped with more sauce and then, my big indulgence, a light grating of Parmesan Regianno.
And I never missed the pasta!

Quick Al'arrabiata: simple sauce that can be used for a variety of dishes. A good one to have in your fast food repertoire.




1 28 oz can Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes
1 large shallot - minced
1 cloves garlic - minced
1 TBS Italian herbs (or a mix of basil & oregano)
1/2 tsp salt



Sauté the shallot and garlic in a little water to soften. Add tomatoes using just enough water to rinse out the can. Add herbs and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.