Cime di rapa is a vegetable mostly use in the southern Italian regions.
They can be enjoyed alone as a side or used in many dishes and pasta. One above all the famous “orecchiette with cime di rapa”.
But what are cime di rapa?
Cima di rapa translates as “turnip top” and basely is a turnip green that makes a small head (similar to a broccoli head). There is an enormous number of varieties, some produce more of a leafy plant and others more heads.
They are normally available in the colder months.
How to use them?
Before cooking them you will need to pick the leaves, the heads and you can even keep the softer part of the stalks, leaving you to discard only the woody base part of the plant.
Cime can be cooked in two ways, boiled or cooked in a frying pan.
But the results of the cooking process are very different.
They are sweeter when boiled and retain a bitter and stronger taste when cooked in a pan.
Davide
Check out this recipe:
