Orecchiette with cime di rapa and pangrattato

Orecchiette is an ear-shaped pasta and it’s served here with pangrattato, which are essentially fancy breadcrumbs to give it a nice crunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 400 g 14 oz orecchiette

  • 300 g 10 1/2 oz cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), leaves and small florets picked

  • 50 ml 1 3/4 oz extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4-5 anchovies

  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

  • 1 dried bird’s eye chilli, stem discarded, coarsely chopped

Pangrattato

  • 100 g 3 1/2 oz stale sourdough bread, torn

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

  • sea salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. For the pangrattato, place the torn bread in a food processor and blitz until coarse crumbs form.

  2. Heat the oil in small frying pan over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and stir for 3-4 minutes or until golden and toasted.

  3. Remove from the pan and set aside.

  4. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil.

  5. Add the orecchiette and the rapini, stir and cook for 8-9 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

  6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

  7. Add the anchovies and break them up into the oil, then add garlic, chillies and little pasta cooking water.

  8. When the pasta is al dente, remove the pasta and rapini with a large slotted spoon straight into the pan with the garlic and anchovy, dragging along some pasta cooking water.

  9. Toss for 1 minute or until well combined, then serve topped with the pangrattato.

Cook’s notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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