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Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Recipe
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe is an Italian pasta recipe typical of Apulian cuisine, in particular from the province of Bari.Broccoli rabe is a common vegetable of the fall/winter season with an intense, slightly bitter flavor. Orecchiette are a type of pasta symbol of Puglia region. The word "Orecchiette" means "small ear" due to its round and concave shape.For an excellent result of the orecchiette with broccoli rabe recipe, you have to take care of the quality of the raw materials. It's essential that the pasta has the right roughness and consistency and that the broccoli is fresh and crispy.
Ingredients
- 400 g orecchiette pasta - ~1 pound, fresh or dried
- 1 kg broccoli rabe - 2.2 pounds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 anchovy fillets - in oil
- 2 chilli peppers
- 5 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin + more for dressing orecchiette pasta
Instructions
- 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.
- Then finely mince the garlic or reduce it to a paste with a garlic masher. Chop the red hot chili pepper as well.
- Heat them in a large skillet with 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the garlic together with the chilli pepper, making sure they don't burn.
- After ⅔ 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.
- 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.
- Now if you are using DRIED ORECCHIETTE, their cooking time is about 12 minutes: boil the orecchiette and after 5 minutes add the broccoli rabe.
- But if you are using FRESH ORECCHIETTE, their cooking time is shorter: cook them together with the broccoli rabe for 6/7 minutes.
- Drain the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and transfer them to the pan with oil, garlic, hot pepper and anchovies.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
PLEASE NOTE: the quantity of garlic, anchovies in oil and hot chilli pepper are only indicative. You can dose these ingredients according to your tastes. An essential element of the recipe is the scent of garlic which can be more or less intense according to your tastes (more/less garlic - chopped or left whole).
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 596kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 94mgPotassium: 803mgFiber: 10gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 6771IUVitamin C: 83mgCalcium: 301mgIron: 7mg
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