Orecchietta
The name ‘Orecchietta’ derives from the ear shape of this peculiar small pasta. When visiting Bari Vecchia (Old Bari) please walk through ‘Arco Alto’, a small archway where you will find lovely ladies sitting outside their doorways, rolling out hand-made orecchiette.
This dish simply involves boiling the pasta and greens together and dressing them with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, anchovies, cherry tomatoes and my balcony chili peppers.
Simple steps
Serves 4 people
- Thoroughly clean and wash 2 bunches (2 kg) of cime di rape (I refuse to call them turnip tops), remove the hard stems and keep the small flowers/florets.
Tip: cime di rape are rich in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.
- Bring a large stock pot of salted water to the boil, add the rape and allow to cook for 10 minutes before adding 400 gr of orecchiette. Cook for 10 minutes together or until the pasta is ‘al dente’.
- Tip: retain some of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, pour 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a wok-style pan or frying pan.
- Tip: I always add more oil.
- Gently heat the oil and add 2 grated garlic cloves and saute’ until golden brown.
- Anchovies are the flavour! A boosting ingredient to this dish. Rinse 4 anchovies and gently slide into the pan.
- Tip: gently desalinate and rinse your anchovies, one by one, under running cold water and debone.
- Add 5 diced cherry tomatoes or winter ‘pomodori al filo’.
- Add 2 fresh balcony chili peppers.
- Allow all ingredients to sauté and meld.
- Drain the pasta and rape and add to the pan with half a cup of the cooking water. Toss and turn over a medium heat in order to incorporate all the flavours. Tip: only add more cooking water if you think it is too dry.
- Serve whilst steaming hot.
Language bites
Clean and wash, remove, keep, bring to the boil, add, allow to cook, retain, pour, heat, sauté and meld, rinse, slide, desalinate, dice, drain, toss and turn, incorporate and serve
