Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
BROCCOLI RABE AND ORECCHIETTE — one of those dishes that at the mere mention makes my mouth water and I confess, even though I’m from Genoa, it’s one of my favorite meals.
A rich and flavorful first course, a symbol of Apulian cuisine, a true delight for the palate even though it comes from a simple recipe.
As with all traditional recipes there are many variations; today’s follows the tips of a lively little old lady from Bari that I met, which includes the savory addition of anchovy and, for the more daring, chili pepper.
Whatever version you choose, remember that for truly excellent orecchiette with broccoli rabe it is essential to select quality ingredients (pasta with the right roughness and fresh, crisp broccoli rabe) and to cook everything to the right point.
Follow my recipe and you’ll see that with Aunt Maria’s advice (my sweet Bari grandmother) you’ll get an amazing dish, finger-licking good.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 SERVINGS
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Autumn, Winter
- Energy 521.90 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 90.59 (g) of which sugars 3.02 (g)
- Proteins 20.97 (g)
- Fat 10.09 (g) of which saturated 1.68 (g)of which unsaturated 2.14 (g)
- Fibers 6.56 (g)
- Sodium 778.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients — Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
- 14 oz orecchiette (fresh)
- 2.2 lb broccoli rabe
- 4 fillets anchovies in oil
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt
- fresh chili pepper (optional)
Tools
- Pot
- Pan
PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE — APULIAN RECIPE
Clean the broccoli rabe by removing the outer leaves and, with a small knife, take only the florets and the inner leaves.
Rinse them well under running water, then drain and dry thoroughly.
Put a pot of plenty of salted water on the heat.
As soon as it starts to boil, add the broccoli rabe and cook for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan pour one tablespoon of oil and as soon as it heats up add the breadcrumbs.
Stir with a spoon and let them toast until nicely golden, taking care not to burn them. As soon as ready remove them from the pan and set aside.
In another pan pour two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the anchovy fillets drained of their preserving oil and one garlic clove (in its skin).
Use a fork to mash the anchovies so they dissolve and flavor the soffritto.
Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove the garlic and turn off the heat.
Meanwhile the broccoli rabe will have cooked; drain it well and put it directly into the pan with the prepared soffritto.
In the same pot where the broccoli rabe cooked, add the orecchiette and cook for 5 minutes if using fresh orecchiette, or for the time indicated on the package if using dried orecchiette.
Once cooked, drain them and add them to the pan with the soffritto and the broccoli rabe.
Toss everything in the pan, adjust the salt, then plate and sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and chili pepper if desired.
STORAGE
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe should be eaten immediately, however if you have leftovers you can store them in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1 day.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
ORECCHIETTE: If you don’t use fresh orecchiette but packaged ones, cook them in water without the broccoli rabe; add the broccoli rabe only 5 minutes before the pasta finishes cooking.
BROCCOLI RABE: Be careful when choosing broccoli rabe: it’s important to select the freshest bunches. If they have small yellow flowers, it means they are old.
Cleaning is also fundamental: discard the larger fibrous leaves, selecting only the smaller leaves and florets.
If you want to enjoy orecchiette with broccoli rabe in summer, I recommend buying broccoli rabe while in season, cleaning it and blanching it for a few minutes. Once well drained you can then freeze it in food bags.
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Where did orecchiette with broccoli rabe originate?
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe have very ancient origins: they date back to the Middle Ages during the Norman-Swabian domination in the area of Sannicandro di Bari.
Why are they called “cime di rapa”?
In common language “cime di rapa” refers to the flowers and leaves of a particular plant (subspecies sylvestris) and not to the leaves of a turnip root variety.
