No matter how much one tries to moderate one’s food intake during the holiday season, one cannot help but eat just a bit more than one would want. Come January, even if losing a few pounds is not on my New Year’s resolution list, I still crave lighter fares. <br /> <br />For me, one way to achieve this, aside from eating lots of veggies, which I do anyway, is to make a main dish that will satisfy my appetite and will also be nutritious. This way I can just eat one thing! <br /> <br />Winter greens are a perfect candidate for such a dish, and for this recipe my vegetable of choice is broccoli rabe (or raab) also known as rapini in Italy. A member of the Brassica family, it is a close relative of the turnip. It's packed with vitamins and minerals and has an earthy and slightly bitter taste. Although very popular in Italy and Asia, in my opinion it still hasn’t made its mark in the US. <br /> <br />Unlike its famous cousin, the broccoli, where only the florets are eaten, the stems, leaves and tiny florets of the broccoli rabe are consumed and blanching it will take some of the bitterness away. Sautéed in olive oil, lots of garlic and a little chili pepper flakes this unusual winter green becomes truly scrumptious: a perfect vegetable for an earthy and light pasta dish!

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