pasta

In Italy, orecchiette is commonly served with sautéed broccoli rabe, cooked with a little garlic, chili, tons of EVOO and topped with pecorino or parmesan cheese. Super simple, right?
 

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 pound orecchiette
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated pecorino or

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a deep skillet. Season liberally with salt and cook broccoli rabe until tender, about 3 minutes. Shock in a bowl of ice water and pat dry. Discard water and wipe skillet clean.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.


While the pasta cooks, in the same skillet used for the broccoli rabe, heat EVOO over medium heat and sauté garlic cloves and red pepper flakes, 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and sauté 2 minutes. Add the cooked orecchiette and reserved pasta cooking water, then toss and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and top with the cheese and a drizzle of EVOO.