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Orecchiette Cime di Rapa (Broccoli Rabe)

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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Sabbiatos Orecchiette
  • 1-2 lb broccoli rabe (cime di rapa) broccoli or Kale
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 Anchovies in Olive Oil
  • 2 Red hot Chili Peppers chopped
  • 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil + more for dressing Orecchiette pasta
  • ⅓ cup pecorino cheese grated⅓

Instructions
 

  • 1. First clean the broccoli rabe by removing the thicker outer leaves and tougher stems. Then wash them well in cold water to remove scraps and impurities. Use the most tender parts of both the leaves and the “cimette” (florets). Drain well and set aside. Same directions if you use broccoli or kale
  • 2. Then finely mince the garlic or reduce it to a paste with a garlic masher. Chop the red hot chili pepper as well.
  • 3. Heat in a large skillet with 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the garlic together with the chili pepper, making sure they don’t burn.
  • 4. After 2/3 minutes, add the anchovy fillets and melt them in the hot oil. Depending on your taste you can remove garlic or leave it (see the note above). Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.
  • 5. Boil some water with coarse salt in a very large pot, so that it can contain both orecchiette and broccoli rabe. Using the same cooking water allows you to further flavor the pasta as it will absorb the flavor of the broccoli rabe.
  • 6. If you are using DRIED ORECCHIETTE, cooking time is about 10 minutes: boil the orecchiette and after 5 minutes add the broccoli rabe.
  • 7. If you are using FRESH ORECCHIETTE, their cooking time is shorter: cook them together with the broccoli rabe for 6/7 minutes.
  • 8. Drain the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and transfer them to the pan with oil, garlic, hot pepper and anchovies.
  • 9. Pan-fry them for a few minutes, just to dry the excess water. Stir with a spoon but try not to break the broccoli rabe too much. They must not become a cream, on the contrary, they must remain leafy.
  • 10. As soon as the water on the bottom has dried, the orecchiette with broccoli rabe are ready. Finally, we recommend adding a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil before serving, and sprinkle the pecorino cheese

Notes

Orecchiette literally means "little ears" in Italian. Orecchiette are a type of pasta typical of the regions of Puglia and Basilicata, whose shape is approximately that of small ears, hence the name.
Cime di rapa - broccoli rabe: Italian cime di rapa are hard to come by outside of Italy, so if you are not able to find them you can replace them with either your local broccoli rabe or the florets of regular broccoli.
Extra virgin olive try to get a good quality extra virgin olive oil one imported from Italy if you can.
Chili Pepper: you can use fresh or dry red chili, but the dish should not be too spicy. Just a hint of spice.
Garlic: a clove or two to add flavor to the oil. We put it whole and then remove it