Orecchiette with Broccolini
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time40 minutes
- 1
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe (orecchiette con cime di rapa) is a signature pasta dish from the Puglia region of southern Italy. We were taught how to make it by Nunzia da Scalo, a cook in Bari, Italy. The bitterness of rabe is challenging for some palates, so we use sweeter, milder Broccolini. However, if you like the assertiveness of rabe, it can easily be used in place of the Broccolini, though rabe will cook a little more quickly. We boil the pasta in a minimal amount of water, then the starchy liquid that remains becomes the base for the sauce that marries the orecchiette and Broccolini. A finishing sprinkle of toasted seasoned breadcrumbs adds a crisp texture.
Don’t use fine dried breadcrumbs instead of panko breadcrumbs. Their sandy, powdery texture doesn’t offer the light, delicate crispness of panko.
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