Sautéed Broccoli Rabe Crostini With Cannellini Beans

• 1 large bunch of fresh broccoli rabe
• 1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans
• 1 ½ cups fresh whole milk (creamy) ricotta cheese (for example, Biazzo)
• 3-4 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 large cloves peeled garlic, coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to taste
• Crushed red pepper, to taste

Trim the thick tough stems from the broccoli rabe just below where the stems branch or the leaves start. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Add your broccoli rabe. Cook until al dente. Add the broccoli rabe to a bowl of iced cold water, literally ice in the water, to stop the cooking process. When cold, drain it until ready to use.

Chop the Broccoli Rabe into bite size small pieces. Heat the generous amount of oil in a large heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat; Add the broccoli rabe, toss to coat in the oil and add the garlic and sauté briefly, until you can smell the garlic. 2-3 minutes. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium. (add beans here if using) Cook and cover, stirring occasionally, until broccoli rabe wilts. You can occasionally add some water to steam it as well. As it is cooking, don’t be afraid to add additional salt and pepper. Also adding crushed red pepper as you like. Serve when it is tasty and very well wilted. Cooking for roughly 10-15 minutes. serves 3-4

Alternatively:
You can add a can of Cannellini beans to the Broccoli Rabe sauté for additional texture and flavor.

Crostini:
The bread: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Slice your baguette in to 1/2-inch-thick pieces. I like to cut mine at an angle. Sprinkle the bread with olive oil, liberally and salt & pepper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bread is lightly browned and crisp. When they are done, let them cool completely. Do not store these in plastic bags, best when store in a wooden bowl or in aluminum catering pans.

For serving:
Season Ricotta with salt and pepper; spread a generous amount of the Ricotta on the Crostini and place the hot Broccoli Rabe and Cannellini Beans on top. Alternatively serve a spread a nice portion of a spreadable cheese like Boursin in place of the Ricotta. Serve.