Orecchiette are little bowl shaped pasta that are made by hand with flour and water in Italy, particularly around Puglia. Broccoli rabe is commonly mixed with the pasta, though I added a twist to the traditional recipe by including some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and then serving the hot pasta with a dollop of creamy goat cheese.
Cooks Note: You can also add 1 pound of crumbled sausage meat to this dish for a change in place. Just brown the sausage first, and add to the oil mixture. Generally grated cheese is not offered due to the red peppers, but I do like to add some grated pecorino or parmesan to mine.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
Yield:
Serves 4 - 6
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Dried Orecchiette
- 1 Pound Broccoli Rabe
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- Pinch Of Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 1/3 Cup Good Quality Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes In Oil
Topping:
- 4 Ounces Creamy Goat Cheese
Instructions
- Trim the broccoli rabe by cutting off any tough stems, and chop into 1 inch pieces and peel the skin off the tougher pieces and cut these into 1 inch pieces as well.
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and pepper flakes, then set aside.
- Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta.
- Cook as per package instructions until the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.
- Add the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot and cook until tender.
- Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving a small cup of pasta water.
- Return the pasta mixture to the pot and mix well with the oil mixture, adding water as needed to keep it moist.
- Serve piping hot in individual bowls with a dollop of goat cheese on top.