One of the healthiest pasta dishes, orecchiette with broccoli rabe is a flavor-packed meal for the whole family, and a clever way to sneak in some power greens. Chef Alessandro Pendinelli chose the delicacy of his native Puglia for an Instagram live event with La Cucina Italiana Editor in Chief Maddalena Fossati.
Here are some Chef Pendinelli tips for a tasty result:
1 -He softens the broccoli rabe in boiling water for a few minutes before sautéing them. “They become crispy and bitter if you cooked them straight in the oil,” as he explained.
2-A mix of chopped garlic, chili pepper flakes (peperoncino) and extra virgin olive oil is used as a base to sauté the soften broccoli rabe.
3-He makes a purée of half of the cooked broccoli rabe with a little of the cooking water. He sets it aside to finish up the dish. It will give a vibrant color and will add smoothness and taste.
3-The anchovies are added to the leftover sautéed broccoli rape and cooked together.
5-He adds a clove of garlic “in camicia” (unpeeled) when browning the bread crumbs on a pan, and removes it when the crumbs are ready, because, as he said, “in Italy we don’t use as much garlic as people might think in America”.
6-The orecchiette cook in the same water of the broccoli rabe, adding salt when the water boils, and are served al dente, of course.
7-He adds the pasta in the broccoli and anchovies pan, and then adds the broccoli cream, using some reserved cooking water to bringing it all together.
8-Instead of cheese, he uses bread crumbs. If you can’t help it, you can add Pecorino, “the Campagna way,” as he said. But for a real Apulian, no cheese is allowed.
9-Finally, he finishes the dish with shaved bottarga, the delicious Mediterranean cured fish roe.
10 -For wine, the chef recommends a nice white such as a Fiano di Avellino, or a Gavi di Gavi.
Buon appetito!
Tune in with Maddalena Fossati and more special guests on #BUTTALAPASTA Instagram live events on @LaCucinaItalianaUSA.