Broccoli Rabe & Beef Heart may not sound like your classic comfort food recipe but this healthy recipe is loaded with many familiar flavors of my childhood. The lemon and capers help subdue the bitterness of the broccoli rabe while the beef heart sautéed in garlic and olive oil brings a meaty richness to the dish. Rustic dishes like this one remind me that simple quality ingredients can be turned into amazing recipes. If you're looking for a great weeknight meal this is a fantastic dish straight out of the old country.
Where does Orecchiette Pasta come from?
Orecchiette pasta originated in the Apuila dragoon of southern Italy. The name comes from the shape of the noodles resembling a small ear. They are also sometimes called Elephant ears and You could also say they resemble contact lenses . My great grandfather actually came from the small southern Italian village of Bari in Puglia. My parents visited a few years ago and would watch the sweet Italian ladies hand rolling Orecchiette right there in the street. Now I must admit that I didn’t make my own pasta for this recipe but I did purchase a very high quality artisan whole wheat Orecchiette to use.
Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli Rabe also known as Rapini is a green cruciferous vegetable. The entire vegetable is edible including the stem, leaves and bud which resembles a broccoli floret. Broccoli Rabe has a slightly bitter taste and I must admit as a kid it was definitely not my favorite. As an adult I learned that enough olive oil, salt and Pecorino Romano can make the bitterness fade. If you don’t like Broccoli Rabe you can substitute kale, spinach or arugula.
How to Prepare Broccoli Rabe
Even though the stems are edible I prefer to trim off the thicker stems because it takes too long to cook. The best method for preparing broccoli rabe is to blanch it in salt water and olive oil in the same pot as the orecchiette then drain and sauté with the other ingredients. The secret is to put the broccoli Rabe in the pot once the orecchiette is halfway cooked that way both finish at the same time. Then I simmer the orecchiette and broccoli rabe with the beef heart, olive oil, lemon and capers. The briny capers combined with the acid in the lemon really balance out this dish. Sausage is more commonly served with this recipe but I prefer the beef heart for its high nutrient density.
Beef Heart: Nutritious and Delicious
Beef Heart is a very nutritious cut of meat and is high in folate, iron, zinc and selenium. So for any of my ladies out there that have an iron deficiency this is the dish for you. Beef heart is also a good source of the coenzyme (CoQ10). This antioxidant is said to help prevent heart disease and can also help boost one's immune system. I have a tasty beef heart meatloaf and Asian beef heart skewer recipe on my low carb website Culinary Lion. Ground beef heart is a great way to introduce this cut of beef without being overly intimidating.
More Beefy Recipes
Broccoli Rabe & Beef Heart w/ Orecchiette Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Whole Wheat Orecchiette
- 1 lb Ground Beef Heart
- 1 cup Garbanzo Beans
- 1 Lemon Juice and Zest
- ¼ cup Capers
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil
- 3 cups Broccoli Rabe or Kale
- 3 tbsp Chopped Garlic
- 2 tsp Crushed Chili Flakes
- 2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
- ¼ cup Sliced Scallions
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Other ingredients
- 3 tbsp Real salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Saute ground beef heart with chopped garlic and 2 tbsp. of olive oil until fully cooked, turn heat to low and add capers, chili flakes and garbanzo beans continue to simmer while pasta and broccoli rabe cook in a seperate pot.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook Whole Wheat Orecchiette for 10-14 minutes until pasta is Al dente. About half way through cooking the pasta add the broccoli rabe to the same pot so that both the pasta and broccoli rabe finish at the same time.
- Strain off broccoli rabe and Whole Wheat Orecchiette. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water. Add the Whole Wheat Orecchiette and Broccoli rabe to the ground beef and stir until fully combined. Squeeze fresh lemon and zest. Stir in scallions and fresh parsley.
- pour in remaining ¼ cup of olive oil to coat the pasta and add starchy pasta water if needed. finish off the dish by topping with Pecorino Romano. Garnish with sliced lemon and fresh herbs.
Nutrition
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