Italianish Pasta at Home

For dinner, I made some pasta with rapini, with white wine to drink.

I'd never had rapini, aka "broccoli rabe" before. I'm going to stick with rapini here, because it's not broccoli, and is actually related to the turnip. In any case, a quick search of the internet reveals disdain and loathing for rapini. People complain that it's bitter and awful-tasting. I, however, found it extremely tasty. And pretty.

I prepared it with a quick blanching, then sauteed with aleppo pepper, garlic, and olive oil, before mixing in the cooked penne and adding grated Pecorino Romano. It had a mellow, buttery flavor that reminded me a bit of asparagus. Here and there, I got a slightly bitter leaf, but the overall effect was delicious.

I ate it with a glass of the leftover Chardonnay/Macabeo, which paired nicely with the rich pasta.