Every now and then I am pleased to find a recipe that is truly unique. This is definitely one of them.
I wanted to blog a recipe by Ottolenghi because I love his recipes, but do not get to make them as often as I would like. I actually found this recipe while scrolling on my phone, which does not happen so often. I thought I sent the recipe to myself, but apparently I did not (not unusual for me). Now I had all the ingredients, but no recipe!
Since I own all his cookbooks, I took to my collection and began searching through their indexes. The first book, no recipe, and the same with the second book. I thought it must have been in the last and final book but alas, no recipe there either. I thought I had overlooked it and even went through them all again.
Next, I checked online and sure enough, I had all of his cookbooks. Now you’re probably wondering why I didn’t look up the recipe online. I finally did, and Epicurious and Bon Appetit both had the recipe on their websites. I found it very strange that neither of them named the author.
I opened up a fellow food blogger’s page who had made this recipe as well. It wasn’t until that moment I realized that this was not Ottolenghi’s recipe at all. It was Bon Appetit’s. I still to this day do not understand how I typed in Ottolenghi’s recipes and came up with this one. But (sigh) this kinda stuff happens to me all the time.
This dish is so extraordinary in so many ways due to its unconventional pairing of ingredients. I wouldn’t call it a bread pudding, but I can see how it kind of is one. It is more of a side dish than a breakfast or dessert. The broccoli rabe is first cooked with the garlic and red pepper flakes. The pancetta tops it all off with a nice crunch and makes it much more savory. It is so simple to make and I just know you are going to love it. My obsession with bread pudding continues.
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This recipe is courtesy of Bon Appetit and will serve 4-6 people who will adore this perfectly satisfying side dish.
Ingredients for Parmesan Bread Pudding:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
6 thin slices pancetta (I used a little more, because why not?)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-heat.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes.
Stir until garlic is softened, about 30 seconds.
Add broccoli rabe & season with salt and pepper.
Cook, tossing until wilted, about 2 minutes, let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl to blend.
Add broccoli rabe mixture, bread, and 1/2 cup Parmesan, toss to combine.
Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
Top with pancetta and remaining Parmesan.
Bake pudding until puffed, browned in spots and set in the center, 45-55 minutes.
It’s that simple!
