'Nduja Tomato Sauce with Broccoli Rabe and Pecorino Romano

‘Nduja Tomato Sauce 

The recipe for this ‘Nduja tomato sauce makes a large enough batch to feed you for a few meals throughout the week. There are very few ingredients, which lets the ‘Nduja be the star of the show! Eat it over pasta, pizza, or our favorite, some overwintered broccoli rabe. The fermenty, floral flavors of the ‘Nduja are bold and bright enough to stand up to the bitter green flavor of the rabe. Not to mention, taking a bite of this makes you feel like you’re sitting under the hot sun in Calabria! We use Pecorino Romano here for grating over the top, but Pecorino Toscano, Pecorino Duro or Parmigiano Reggiano would also be great options! 

Ingredients:

4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 head of garlic, peeled and sliced

1 3k tin of canned tomatoes

5 tsp kosher salt

12 oz ‘Nduja

Method:

Place a large pot over medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. Sweat garlic until it softens and add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or with a spatula. Leaving them a little chunky adds some nice texture to the sauce. Add salt and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 20-25 minutes. Add the ‘Nduja and break it up with your spatula, and stir until it is completely emulsified into the sauce. 

‘Nduja Tomato Sauce with Broccoli Rabe and Pecorino Romano

We like to blanch the broccoli rabe in a pot of boiling, salted water, but it can also easily be sauteed in some olive oil. Add a little minced garlic to the pan if you want an extra hit of garlic in the final product.

Ingredients: 

1 cup ‘Nduja tomato sauce, warmed

1 bunch broccoli rabe

Pecorino Romano, for grating

Method:

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil and add enough salt to make it taste like the ocean. Stir to make sure all salt has dissolved. Add broccoli rabe to the pot of boiling salted water and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove broccoli rabe by straining into a colander or with a pair of tongs and let dry on some paper towels.* When the rabe is drained of any excess liquid, place it on a large plate and spoon on the ‘Nduja tomato sauce. Grate some Pecorino Romano generously over the top and a few cracks of black pepper.  

*If you want to cook the broccoli rabe ahead of time as part of your weekly meal prep, here’s how to cook and store it until ready to eat: Grab a large bowl and fill it with ice. Pour enough water in the bowl until all the ice is submerged and floating. Add broccoli rabe to the pot of boiling salted water and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove broccoli rabe by straining into a colander or with a pair of tongs and immediately place it in the ice bath. This will stop the cooking process. Allow the broccoli rabe to sit in the ice bath for 2-3 minutes, moving it around to make sure there are no warm pockets. Take the broccoli rabe out of the ice bath and let dry on some paper towels. Then you can store until ready to use!