Pasta with Sparaceddi

 

("Pasta chi Sparaceddi Assassunati")

 

Sparaceddi called also sparacelli is a vegetable similar to the broccoli raab (called also: broccoli rape or rabe, or broccoletti or rapine). This plant, native to the Mediterranean Basin and China, is related to the turnip, cabbage and mustard.  The scientific name of turnip is Brassica Rapa hence the name rape in Italian or rabe in dialect.
The broccoli rape contains glucosinolate, a substance that gives that characteristic slightly bitter and spicy taste that combined red hot pepper and with the sweetness of pork sausages or pancetta (pork belly) in the sauce of the orecchiette pasta, brings out flavors and savor enjoyed at the tables of southern Italy.
There are many varieties of this vegetable and depending where they are grown it can be more or less bitter. A modified variety cultivated in Canada is used to make from its seeds Canola oil, which stands for CANadian Oil Low Acidity.
The variety that grows in Sicily is called sparaceddi or sparacelli: it has a short stem with tender leaves, topped with florets.

The leaves, spouts and the stems, the size of a little finger are edible; sparaceddi are consumed as contorno, side dish, or in the soupy pasta chi sparaceddi.
The sprouts, called giummi in Palermo, are made of small light green and yellowish flowers. Sparaceddi from Latin sparagus or sparagi changed into Medieval Latin to sparaci and it derives from the Greek aspharagos meaning shoot.
Sicilian sparaceddi have a delicate and mild taste and most of the time it is coupled with a sauce called assassunata, to dress the pasta or a contorno (side dish) of sparaceddi.
Assassunata derives from the French word assaissoner, to season; this word was adopted in the 13th century, when Beatrix, the daughter of Raymond-Berenger IV, Count of Provence, married Charles I d’Anjou, king of Sicily and lived in Palermo. She made an effort to Frenchify Sicilian cooking and the quick, fast and plain sauce made of olive oil and garlic got the name assassunatu or assassunata.

A vegetable comparable to sparaceddi is available throughout the U.S.A. and it is called broccolini or baby broccoli. It is available in selected markets year round, but not all the times. The thin stalks and small florets are edible; broccolini are brought to the markets without leaves.
When we arrived in New York from Palermo, there were not sparaceddi or broccolini in the markets!
The broccoli di rape similarly looking to sparaceddi had a distinguished bitter taste. The broccoli, the large flower head and edible stalk with a taste similar to the sparacelli, it had no leaves.    
We tested a combination of broccoli di rape and broccoli in search for the taste of the sparacelli!
The result is not perfect but it can be acceptable.
Shop in a reliable vegetable store and buy fresh and young broccoli di rape, use the leaves and spouts, discard the bitter stems and combine with the broccoli.

Good results are obtained preparing as per the following easy directions.

 

 

The Sparaceddi

To clean the broccoli rape, cut all florets and strip the leaves from the stem. Discard the stems and any withered leaf.
Cut the tender leaves into 1 inch strips.
Wash a few times and place in a colander to drain.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and briefly blanch the broccoli rape to tone down their bitterness. Drain with a slotted spoon and set on the side.

To clean the broccoli simply rinse with cold water. Do not soak. Cut the floret from the stalk and chop into small chunks.  Set on the side.
To prepare the stalk, cut off and discard 1 inch from the end. Trim, peel and cut the tender part into thin slices. Set on the side in a container with water.

 

The Condiments

Over a high flame heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan, sauté the garlic until golden. Remove skillet from heat, carefully add a few tablespoons of water and set on the side.

The Pasta

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoons of salt to a boil, to cook the pasta.
Also in a small pot, bring about 1 quart of water to a boil and keep at a low flame, to add to cooking pasta in case it becomes too dry. 
When the large pot boils, drain the sliced stalk of the broccoli, add and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped broccoli florets and cook for additional 5 minutes.
Add the pasta, the broccoli rape’s florets and leaves and when it boils lower the flame to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes and if you feel that the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water, to obtain the desired consistency. This pasta should be soupy but not too watery; add black pepper and salt to taste.

The Assembly
When pasta is cooked, remove from fire, add the assassunata (sautéed garlic) and drizzle the remaining olive oil.
Serve the pasta in bowls and offer peperoncino, red hot pepper, on the side. No cheese is served with pasta chi sparaceddi.
In the eastern part of Sicily, filets of anchovies are added to the assassunata condiment (the oil and garlic) and grated cheese is served on the side.