Name: Cima di rapa affogata (“Drowned” Broccoli Rabe with Tomatoes and Pancetta)
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 3 pounds broccoli rabe, tough stems discarded and cut into 2-inch pieces; 10 Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, or 1 cup olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes; 1 cup water, or as needed; ⅓ pound pancetta, cut into small dice; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 cloves garlic, minced; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; Pinch of chile pepper flakes, or to taste

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

Broccoli rabe is a favored green in Apulia. In this recipe, it is cooked in two stages, with liquid added as needed. Do not be alarmed to see that you will need 3 pounds of greens. The tough stems are discarded, and the leaves shrink substantially, so you will end up with a reasonable amount. Affogare means “to drown” or “to smother”; this technique is a variation on the “smothered” method used for cooking cabbage