The broccoli rabe belongs to the turnip family and are floral clusters produced from plants grown mostly in Southern Italy, in Calabria, Campania and Puglia. They are harvested when they’re not completely ripe and the flowers not yet in bloom.
Broccoli rabe in the kitchen
Broccoli rabe are prepared by removing the thicker, harder leaves and the base of the stems. There are two methods most commonly used to cook them; they can be boiled or cooked in a pan with only the remaining water from rinsing. In both cases, the taste is very different; they are sweeter when boiled and retain a bitter and stronger taste when cooked in a pan.
Broccoli rabe orecchiette recipe
This is another Bari cuisine must as one of the traditional Apulian dishes, prepared with dry orecchiette. In home kitchens this type of pasta is prepared by hand, but you can also use artisan orecchiette made with durum wheat semolina and water. Here’s our recipe.
Ingredients for 4 people:
1 lb 8 oz of broccoli rabe cleaned and peeled, 12 oz of orecchiette, 1 clove of garlic, 8 anchovy fillets in oil, oil, chili pepper.
Method
Take the clean broccoli rabe and throw them in a large pot with salted water. Cook them for five minutes and then add the orecchiette in the same water. Leave them to cook and then, once the orecchiette (which must be al dente) are ready, drain the pasta and broccoli rabe, keeping some of the cooking water which you may need for the mantecatura (creaming) of the pasta. In another pan put a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic clove. Add the anchovy fillets that need to melt. Then add the orecchiette and broccoli rabes in the same pan of oil, mix well and add a little cooking water if the pasta is too dry. Then finish with a sprinkling of chili pepper on top. Your orecchiette are ready to be enjoyed!