How to make orecchiette pasta with broccoli
16th Feb 2023 Recipes
There are endless ways to formulate pasta dishes, but have you tried making orecchiette pasta with broccoli? Straight from his kitchen and book, Gennaro Contaldo shares his step-by-step recipe
This classic pasta dish from Puglia is normally made with cime di rapa (rapa tops), which are quite difficult to find unless you’re in Italy. Broccoli is a great substitute; economical, easy to find and packed with vitamins and other nutrients.
"This classic pasta dish from Puglia is normally made with cime di rapa (rapa tops), but broccoli is a great substitute"
This is such a simple dish to make using very few ingredients. The anchovies add a lovely saltiness, but you can omit them if you prefer. If you can’t find orecchiette pasta, then simply use spaghetti.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets (approx. 650g total weight)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ red chilli, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 300g dried orecchiette pasta
- Sea salt
Method
- Cook the broccoli in a large pan of slightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic, chilli and anchovy fillets and sweat over medium heat until the anchovies have dissolved.
- With the help of a spider strainer, pick up the cooked broccoli from its pan of water and transfer it into the frying pan, then stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
- Bring the pan of broccoli water back to a boil, then add the orecchiette pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot pasta cooking water to the frying pan and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Take a potato masher and gently mash the broccoli.
- When the orecchiette is cooked, remove using a slotted spoon (or the spider strainer) and add to the broccoli, mixing together well and adding a little more pasta cooking water, if necessary. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or so until well combined.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Banner credit: David Loftus
Read more: Mob Kitchen: Corn and ricotta gnocchi
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