Pasta of the Week 7: Orecchiette con le cime di rapa 🥬
A classic dish from beautiful Puglia
I’ve been really enjoying make fresh semola flour pasta so this week I made:
✨ Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa ✨
This is one of the most iconic dishes from Puglia, a beautiful region in southern Italy. “Orecchiette” means “little ears” and is traditionally made with semola flour and water. The most traditional pairing for this pasta shape is cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), garlic, chili, and anchovies.
This pasta is perfect if you love bold, earthy greens like broccoli rabe and the savoriness of anchovies.
Score:
Flavor: 6/10
This was my first time making orecchiette and they were so fun to shape! I loved the way they turned out, they had the perfect texture. Although the bitterness of the broccoli rabe was balanced by the anchovies and garlic, it was still slightly too bitter for me.
Difficulty: 6/10
Orecchiette are a bit tricky to shape evenly, but once you’ve done a few it gets easier. The sauce was super simple and only required a few ingredients.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
For the pasta:
• 200g semola rimacinata di grano duro (about 1⅔ cups)
• 100g warm water (about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp)
For the sauce:
• 1 bunch of cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), cleaned and chopped
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 dried chili (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
For the panko topping:
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 garlic clove
Instructions (1 hour total):
1. Make the Orecchiette (40 minutes):
Mix the semola flour and water to form a firm dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
To shape: Roll the dough into thin ropes, then cut into small pieces (around 1 cm thick). Drag each one with a knife, then turn it inside out over your thumb to form the “ear” shape. This video shows the process well. Let them rest while you prepare the sauce.
2. Make the Panko Topping (5 minutes):
In a small pan, heat the olive oil and add the full garlic grove and anchovies until fragrant. Add panko and cook until golden and crispy. Set aside.
3. Make the Sauce (15 minutes):
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and boil for 7-8 minutes, until tender. Scoop out about half the greens with some cooking water and blend into a smooth sauce.
Heat olive oil in a pan with the garlic, chili, and anchovies. Sauté gently until the anchovies melt and everything is fragrant. Set aside.
Add the orecchiette to the pot and cook until they float (4–5 minutes). Drain pasta and broccoli rabe, then toss everything into the anchovy sauce pan along with the blended green sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if needed and toss well to coat.
4. Assemble:
Plate the pasta and top generously with the garlic-anchovy panko for crunch and extra flavor.
Buon appetito! ❤️
