Orecchiette con Cima di Rape

Orecciette are little bowl shaped pasta that are made by hand with flour and water in Italy, particularly around Apulia. Broccoli rabe makes a tasty, healthy vegetarian sauce although I do give a variation using a little pancetta. Orecchiette can generally be found in any Italian specialty stores.

ingredients

Serves 4-6
by Deborah Mele
Pound Dried Orecchiette
1 Pound Broccoli Rabe
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
Pinch Of Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1/3 Cup Good Quality Olive Oil
Variation:
5 Slices (1/3 Cup) Chopped Pancetta

directions

1
Trim the broccoli rabe by cutting off any tough stems. Chop into 1 inch pieces and peel the skin off the tougher pieces and cut these into 1 inch pieces as well. In a small saucepan, heat the oil, garlic, pancetta (if using) and pepper flakes. Set Aside.
2
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook as per package instructions until the last 4-5 minutes of cooking. Add the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot and cook until tender. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving a small cup of pasta water. Return the pasta mixture to the pot and mix well with the oil mixture, adding water as needed to keep it moist. Serve piping hot.
3
Cooks Note: You can also add 1 pound of crumbled sausage meat to this dish for a change in place of the pancetta. Just brown the sausage first, and add to the oil mixture. Generally cheese is not offered due to the red peppers, but I do like to add some grated pecorino or parmesan to mine.
4
Buon Appetito!

Source: ItalianFoodForever.com