Orecchiette with Rapini & Sausage - 4 INGREDIENTS & PASTA WATER

Rapini

Italian Sausage

Orecchiette

Parmigiano Reggiano and/or Pecorino Romano

Boil water in a pot to blanch the rapini. Saute 1 lb. of Italian sausage (bulk or remove from casing) - stir occasionally and break up the sausage...You may need a little olive oil in the pan depending upon how lean the sausage is - mine was from the Fresno State Farm Store*. While the sausage cooks and the water boils, I prep the rapini - I don't use all of the rapini...Only the tender centers that are just beginning to flower along with the surrounding leaves...I will take a picture tomorrow (I have to go buy more rapini). When the water is boiling add a small handful (with your fingers NOT your palm) of kosher salt, add in the rapini and cook until tender (3 minutes). Remove to cool - when cool chop into bite sized pieces and add to sausage. Using the same pot, empty the rapini cooking water and add fresh water, bring to a boil for the pasta add salt. I like using orecchiette shaped pasta for this dish. Stir often - the little ears tend to stick together. While the pasta cooks I remove some of the pasta water to the pan with the sausage and rapini - this will make the sauce. When the pasta is about 3 minutes away from al dente, I use my SPIDER and scoop the pasta directly into the sausage pan and add more pasta water and continue cooking. The pasta will absorb the sauce. When it is almost done, I turn off the heat and add in about 1-2 C of cheese...Depending on flavor and thickness of the sauce.

The sausage and rapini can also be combined with cannellini beans (or with Trader Joe's Giant Beans like I did for the last Kappa reunion in Manhattan Beach) and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano...Stir together and serve as an appetizer with bruschetta, crostini, bread or crackers.

Every time I visit my in-laws, I always bring an empty ice chest so I can go to the Fresno Starte Farm Store (here's a link: http://www.auxiliary.com/AGF/farmmarket/). I buy meats - beef, pork & lamb and fruit and veggies in season...I always go in the Summer too - 12 years ago when I was first introduced, Summer corn was 10 ears for $1...Seriously!!! These days I think they get $1 for 4 or 5, but it's worth every penny!!! Fresh picked in the early AM and in big bins for the picking by opening...There are lines out the door...Oh and their ice cream is tasty too...WAS some of my favorite until Spring Break when I tried Gunther's of Sacramento - THE best ice cream I have EVER tasted and that's saying a lot - Some of you may remember the good ol' days at Swensen's!!!