Stretched between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, the sun-soaked landscape of Puglia in southern Italy is celebrated for its signature dish, orecchiette with broccoli rabe. The pasta's "little ears," as orecchiette translates, are the perfect shape to scoop up the chunkier sauce. Recipe courtesy of Eataly.
Ingredients for 4 people
For the fresh pasta
- 1 cup durum semolina flour
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
If you prefer dry pasta
For the sauce
- 10 ounces broccoli rabe, rinsed & chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cup grated aged pecorino, preferably from Puglia
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 clove garlic
- Sea salt, to taste
How to make Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa
Make the orecchiette
- In a medium bowl, whisk the two flours together. Mound the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of room-temperature water in the well. With two fingers, stir some of the flour from the walls into the center. When the water has been absorbed, repeat with more water, always adding small amounts, until you have a soft dough. You will probably need between 2/3 cup and 1 cup of water.
- Knead the dough until smooth and soft, about 10 minutes. If it crumbles while you knead, wet your hands a few times to work in a small amount of additional liquid.
- Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside. Cut off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and put the remaining dough under an overturned bowl so it does not dry out. On the work surface, roll the piece of dough into a rope about ½ inch wide.
- Use a knife to slice off a disk about 1 1/8 inch wide, then pull the disk away from the rope, pressing it against the work surface. Lift the disk and invert it over a fingertip. It should look like a little hat with a rolled "brim" all around. Transfer the shaped pasta to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
Cook the orecchiette with cime di rapa
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook the broccoli rabe until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon and run it under cold water. Squeeze out as much water as possible and chop roughly. Set aside.
- Let the water return to a boil, then add the orecchiette and cook until fresh pasta floats to the surface, or until dry pasta is al dente (about 12 minutes, or according to package instructions).
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan. Peel and crush the garlic clove, sauté until browned, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and discard.
Tips
Wine pairing
Serve this dish with a full-bodied, robust red wine from Puglia, such as Primitivo or Aglianico.
