Tomato Tomatoe

broccoli pasta from puglia

Italian cooking is all about using simple and good quality ingredients. A classic dish from the South of Italy in the region of Puglia is cime di rapa or broccoli rabe with orecchiette. This pasta dish is a signature of Apulian cuisine and it comes together using a handful of very simple ingredients. This pasta makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. The pasta is made using olive oil, lots of garlic, anchovies and pepperoncino. As the broccoli cooks down, the sauce becomes creamy and coast each piece of pasta. Traditionally this pasta is made using orecchiette which is one of the quintessential pasta shapes of Apulian cuisine. For this recipe you can use a head of broccoli or broccoli rabe, whichever you prefer.

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Broccoli Pasta from Puglia

Ingredients

• 1 box of orecchiette or cavatelli
• 1 head of broccoli or broccoli rabe
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4-5 anchovy filets
• pinch of pepperoncino
• ½ – 1 cup pasta water
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano + more for serving
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Directions

1. Clean and cut the broccoli into small florets. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until tender. This should take around 5 minutes. Remove the broccoli and set aside. Optional to puree some of the broccoli to add to the sauce. This will make the sauce creamier.
2. Bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for two minutes less than what the package says.
3. While the pasta is cooking start the sauce. In a large cold pan, add olive oil, garlic, anchovy filets and pepperoncino. Turn the pan on to low and cook until the garlic is fragrant, and the anchovies begin to dissipate into the sauce. This should take 2-3 minutes. Add a ladle of pasta water, cooked broccoli (and broccoli puree if you did that step). Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed.
4. Once the pasta is al dente, add directly to the sauce and cook for a few minutes, adding more pasta water to make the sauce creamy. Once the sauce is creamy, off the heat, stir in ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano.
5. Serve with more cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.