1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until slightly golden.
2. Add rapini, figs, pine nuts and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well to coat rapini.
3. Cook until hot.
4. Garnish with Parmesan shavings and serve as a side dish for grilled meat.

CHEF’S SECRET

Add some minced garlic to the onions for a more pronounced flavour.

• Replace the figs with dried apricots or raisins to vary the flavour.
• Incorporate a bit of crushed red chili for a spicier note.
• Vary the toppings with different Italian cheeses, like pecorino or ricotta salata. Complete the meal with a good crusty bread or creamy polenta.

This Italian-style rapini is a celebration of Mediterranean flavours, a vegetarian dish that combines the rustic rapini with rich, traditional Italian ingredients. This recipe, easy and quick to prepare, transforms rapini into a tasty and elegant side dish. The rapini, cut into large pieces and blanched, retains its al-dente texture and bright colour, and is a perfect base for the other flavours.

Dried figs add a touch of natural sweetness that contrasts nicely with the slight bitterness of the rapini. Toasted pine nuts, with their crunchy texture and nutty flavour, add an additional dimension to the dish. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar brings mild acidity and aromatic complexity to the dish.

Ideal as a side dish for grilled meat or as a light main course, this Italian-style rapini is a simple and elegant way to enjoy vegetables that will please both fans of Italian cuisine and newcomers.