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
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400 g 14 oz orecchiette
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300 g 10 1/2 oz cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), leaves and small florets picked
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50 ml 1 3/4 oz extra-virgin olive oil
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4-5 anchovies
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1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
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1 dried bird’s eye chilli, stem discarded, coarsely chopped
Pangrattato
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100 g 3 1/2 oz stale sourdough bread, torn
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2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
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sea salt, to taste
Instructions
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For the pangrattato, place the torn bread in a food processor and blitz until coarse crumbs form.
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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.
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Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil.
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Add the orecchiette and the rapini, stir and cook for 8-9 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
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Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
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Add the anchovies and break them up into the oil, then add garlic, chillies and little pasta cooking water.
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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.
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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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