Roasted Rapini ::: Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic

This cruciferous green is slightly bitter and nicely balanced by the acidity of cherry tomatoes and the smokiness of bacon.

I made mine by blanching the rapini. In a separate cast iron skillet I began roasting 3 slices of bacon and a couple handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes. I added a couple cloves of crushed garlic to this mixture as it cooked through in the oven.

Once the tomatoes started to caramelize, I added the blanched rapini to soak in the fragrant bacon, tomato and garlic sauce/oil. Once heated through I removed the cast iron skillet from the oven and let it sit until ready to plate the rapini. I added just a pinch of salt and pepper just before serving, but the bacon largely takes care of the salt you need for the dish.

Check out your local red meat counter to see if you can buy bacon by the slice. My mom shared this tip with me and it's a great way to cook with fresh bacon, without having to freeze or waste extra slices.

A very yummy vegetable side!