Recipe courtesy of Gabriele Bertaccini
Recipe courtesy of Gabriele Bertaccini
Watch how to make this recipe.
Fresh Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 466
- Total Fat
- 25 g
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Sodium
- 510 mg
Orecchiette or “little ears” is an essential pasta shape in Puglia. The dough is comprised of only flour and water so that it’s sturdy enough to form into the classic concave shape without tearing. (A pasta dough with eggs and oil would be too tender here.) When shaping the orecchiette, it’s best to work on an unfloured surface – a large wooden cutting board is ideal as it provides just enough resistance to add texture to the shapes without tearing them. While peeling the broccoli rabe stems can be optional, it’s a nice touch to assure the vegetable is silky smooth and nestles into the curves of the orecchiette like they were meant to be together.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 466
- Total Fat
- 25 g
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Sodium
- 510 mg
Ingredients
Pasta:
Sauce:
Breadcrumb Topping:
Directions
- For the pasta: Combine the semolina, 00 flour and salt in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Drizzle in the water and stir until the dough forms a ball on the spoon. (If it doesn’t form a ball, drizzle in a little more water and stir again.) Continue to stir until mostly smooth, 30 to 40 seconds. Knead the dough by hand a few times to make a smooth ball, then wrap in plastic and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with flour. Pull off a walnut-size chunk of dough (keep the rest covered) and roll into a snake about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into chunks about 1/2 inch thick and roll into little balls about the size of chickpeas.
- Using a non-serrated butter knife blade-side down, hold the knife at a 45-degree angle and press and roll it towards you over a dough ball to flatten it with the sides curling up. Turn it inside out over your finger so it now curls on the opposite side. (This takes practice so don’t worry if they aren’t perfect – the beauty of this shape is its rusticity.) Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the finished orecchiette on the baking sheets.
- For the sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the orecchiette.
- To prepare the broccoli rabe, trim off the tough ends of the stems. Hold a piece in your hand, stem facing up, and peel the tough green ends from the stem, partially peeling the lower, tougher part. Repeat with the remaining stems. Cut the broccoli rabe into 2-inch pieces.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and crumble in the sausage. Cook, continuing to crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 3 minutes. Scatter in the broccoli rabe, season with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat it in the oil. Cook, tossing, until the leaves begin to wilt and turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Make a space in the middle and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Ladle in 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 6 minutes.
- For the breadcrumb topping: Meanwhile, add the breadcrumbs, olive oil, parsley, red pepper flakes and salt to a small bowl. Toss until the breadcrumbs are coated in the oil mixture.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and toasted, about 4 minutes. Set aside
- When the broccoli rabe is tender, uncover the skillet and simmer to reduce the sauce by about one-half, about 4 minutes.
- Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and once it comes back to a boil, cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain the orecchiette, reserving about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add the orecchiette to the simmering sauce and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt, if needed. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry (there should be a thin, glossy coating of sauce in the bottom of the pan; it shouldn’t be soupy). Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the Parmigiana-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. Toss well and sprinkle with the breadcrumb topping. Serve with more cheese for sprinkling.
