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Just Picked: Broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, lends a gently verdant and slightly bitter flavor to dishes such as pizza and pesto, but it's especially popular in pasta. (Adriana Janovich / The Spokesman-Review)

Don’t worry about those itty-bitty buttercup-colored flowers. Not only do they add a pretty little pop of color, they’re edible.

They grace the tips of the elegant, slender cousin of full-bodied broccoli. Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, lends a mild, verdant but slightly bitter flavor to dishes such as pasta, pizza and pesto.

While it does resemble broccoli, the buds of this cruciferous vegetable don’t form the same large, squat, firm head. But, like broccoli, its ruffly leaves, thin stalks and florets are all edible and offer a good source of vitamins A and C. One cup has just 9 calories.

The pungent greens are common in Italian cooking as well as in dishes from Spain and Portugal.

This summer, consider sauteing broccoli rabe with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, maybe a little lemon zest. Throw in some crispy tofu, too, or maybe some chickpeas – or both.

Make a bowl of it, tossing the greens with a little soy sauce and quinoa, barley or wheat berries and enjoying the dish warm or as a cold salad.

Add the greens to a frittata or use them to top pizza or as a side dish for pork or sausage. Puree or simply chop them up and toss them into soups. Process them with almonds, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and soy sauce for an Asian-influenced pesto.

The greens can also be mixed with penne or other pasta. In Puglia, a traditional dish – orecchiette con le cime di rapa – puts broccoli rabe in the spotlight, along with small, ear-shaped pasta.

This pasta recipe, published in the New York Times in April 2009, comes together in 20 or 30 minutes and uses the same pot to cook the noodles and broccoli rabe. Consider chopping the broccoli rabe into smaller pieces – perhaps about 1 inch – for ease of eating.

Toasted pine nuts and a little lemon zest or juice could add extra texture and flavor, too.

Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Garlic and Bread Crumbs

By Mark Bittman for the New York Times

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and slivered

1 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

About 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed

1 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When oil is warm, cook garlic just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bread crumbs and red pepper flakes and cook until bread crumbs are golden, 5 minutes or so. Remove and set aside.

Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and chop. Cook pasta in same pot.

Meanwhile, add remaining oil to skillet over medium-low heat. Add broccoli rabe and toss well; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When it is warm add garlic and bread crumbs and mix well.

When pasta is done, drain it, reserving a little cooking water. Toss pasta in skillet with broccoli rabe mixture, moistening with a little reserved water if necessary. Adjust seasonings and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings