Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa

Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa

The signature pasta of Puglia: hand-shaped little ears tossed with bitter turnip greens, garlic, anchovy and chilli, served simply with good olive oil.

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) fresh orecchiette, dried is fine, use 280 g / 10 oz
• •800 g (1¾ lb) cime di rapa (turnip tops), stems and leaves; trimmed weight about 600 g / 1¼ lb. If unavailable, use broccoli rabe
• •80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, good-quality Puglian if possible
• •4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• •4 fillets salt-packed anchovies, rinsed and boned; substitute 2 tsp anchovy paste
• •1 piece dried red chilli (peperoncino), crumbled, or ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• •20 g (¾ oz) fine sea salt, for the pasta water
• •60 g (2 oz) Pecorino Romano, finely grated; optional but traditional; null if omitted

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it lightly (about 20 g salt per litre).
2. 2 Wash the turnip tops thoroughly in several changes of cold water to remove grit. Cut the stems into 3–4 cm pieces and leave the leaves whole. Keep stems and leaves separate.
3. 3 Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until pale gold, not brown.
4. 4 Add the anchovies and chilli; stir with a wooden spoon until the anchovies dissolve into the oil, about 1 minute.
5. 5 Add the turnip stems first and cook for 2 minutes, then add the leaves and toss until just wilted, about 2 more minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Hold the pan off the heat.
6. 6 Drop the orecchiette into the boiling water and cook until al dente (about 3–4 minutes for fresh, 10–12 minutes for dried). Taste for doneness rather than relying on the clock.
7. 7 Reserve about 200 ml (¾ cup) of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta (do not rinse).
8. 8 Add the drained orecchiette to the skillet with the greens over medium heat. Splash in a little reserved pasta water and toss vigorously for 30 seconds so the sauce emulsifies and clings to the pasta cups.
9. 9 Taste and adjust salt. If the sauce looks tight, add another splash of pasta water; if loose, cook 30 seconds longer.
10. 10 Serve immediately in warmed bowls, drizzled with a little raw olive oil and finished with the grated Pecorino Romano.