A Most Adaptable Pasta

My friend the foodie and I were talking about what we’d fixed for dinner lately. I was telling him about the pasta with broccoli rabe I’d made the night before when he interrupted me.

“Aaah, the one with Italian sausage?”

No, I said, I was running late and hadn’t stopped by the market to pick up sausage.

“What about anchovies, then?”

No, I said, I’d run out of anchovies and had forgotten to buy more.

“But you used those little pepperoncini, right, those little bits of dried red pepper?”

Well actually, I confessed, at the last minute I realized I was out of those too.

I was getting the distinct feeling that I wasn’t going to pass foodie muster with this dinner. But it was good. In fact, it was very good.

What I had done was cook garlic--a lot of it, actually--until it had barely browned, then added lemon zest off-heat just to sizzle a minute while the oil cooled (cooking the zest too long diminishes its impact). I blanched the broccoli rabe until it was just tender, then cooked the pasta in the same water. When the pasta was done, I put it and the broccoli in the pan with the garlic and lemon peel and cooked it for a minute or two over high heat with lemon juice and a bit of the pasta cooking water to bind them.

Still, just because I think the dish tastes good this way certainly doesn’t mean it is the only way to fix it. In fact, it’s probably not even the best way.

But that’s not really the point. Some recipes are perfect as written, neither needing nor really tolerating alteration. Others are so adaptable that they are practically unbreakable. This is one of those. Bend it, fold it, spindle it anyway you want. It doesn’t matter whether you add sausage or anchovies or even peppers, it’s still going to taste good.

For that reason, this is a recipe that almost invariably winds up in the day-to-day repertoire of everybody who tries it. Given the fundamentals--good olive oil, garlic and dried pasta--it will adapt itself to just about anything you have (or don’t have) in your pantry.

I particularly like it made with crumbled Italian sausage browned almost to the point of crustiness. The rapini has a sharp edge that cuts through the sweet pork fattiness wonderfully.

On the other hand, sometimes I want it with a salty pop--anchovies or capers will do. Pecorino-Romano--that pungent salty sheep’s milk cheese--is nice if you’re not adding anchovies or capers.

And, of course, on those Wednesday nights when your cupboard is all but bare, you can serve it stripped to its essentials and not be disappointed.

Use big tastes and use them in big measures. This is not one of those suave, elegantissimo pasta dishes that wow you with their delicacy. This is gutsy and loud and just the thing for when you can use a little spark in your life.

Leave it to others to worry about the ideal combination of ingredients. In the truest sense of the word, this is genuine Italian cooking--taking the everyday stuff of your kitchen and turning it into something worth celebrating.

Just remember, though, if someone asks afterward whether you made it with the sausage, or the anchovies, or the pepperoncini, simply smile and say, “Oh, of course.”

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE (30-MINUTES OR LESS)

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon lemon zest

6 anchovy fillets, chopped

3/4 pound broccoli rabe

1 pound dried corkscrew pasta

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt, pepper

Broccoli rabe (you’ll also see it sold as rapini or broccoli di rape) can be found in most produce markets at this time of year. It’s mostly skinny stalk with a lot of leaves and a little top and it has a forceful bitterness that stands up to almost any seasoning. When you add the anchovies in a dish like this, do it off-heat, stirring them so they melt into the sauce. Cooking over direct heat can turn anchovies tough and bitter.

Warm olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in large skillet over medium-low heat until garlic turns pale brown, about 5 minutes. Do not let garlic scorch. Remove skillet from heat and cool slightly. Add parsley, lemon zest and anchovies and stir off-heat until anchovies melt into oil, about 2 minutes.

Cook broccoli rabe in large pot of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pot, keeping water boiling, and chop broccoli rabe in roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, keeping water at boil.

Place skillet over high heat and add broccoli rabe and pasta. Add 1/2 cup boiling water from pasta pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until water boils away, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and a good grinding of black pepper.

6 servings. Each serving:

413 calories; 214 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.96 gram fiber.