Recipe with rabe

Rabe and white bean soup

Ingredients: broccoli rabe (rapini), pancetta, onions, garlic, hot peppers, white wine, broth, white beans, parmesan cheese

Preparing: Cook up some pancetta. Remove from pan and cook onions, garlic and hot pepper in the rendered fat. Add white wine and boil alcohol off. Add broccoli rabe cut to your preferred size and saute until bright green. Add broth and white beans (I use chicken broth and cannellini beans that have been soaked and cooked). Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Eating: Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and some warm, crusty bread.

Dish history: When I was growing up we used to eat "beans and escarole" soup. My dad suggested using the rabe as the green. I added the pancetta and parmesan because they just taste so good.