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Orecchiette con cime di rapa
Puglia's 'little ears' pasta with turnip tops, garlic, chilli and toasted breadcrumbs
In Bari the old women of Arco Basso still shape orecchiette on wooden boards in the street, and the dish everyone cooks them with is cime di rapa: the bitter, leafy turnip tops sold in big bunches from autumn to early spring. The greens and pasta boil in the same pot, then get tossed with garlic, chilli and good olive oil. Pugliese cooks usually melt in anchovies; this vegan version uses golden fried breadcrumbs (mollica), the 'poor man's cheese' of southern Italy, for crunch and savour. Chef's tip: add the chopped stalks first and the leaves a few minutes later, so everything is tender at the same moment as the pasta.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 1 ½ tbsp salt.
8 minStep 2: Warm 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Toast 1 ¾ oz coarse dry breadcrumbs, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until golden and smelling of toast. Tip into a bowl.
4 minStep 3: Add 12 ½ oz dried orecchiette and the chopped stalks of 1 ¾ lb cime di rapa (turnip tops) or broccoli rabe to the boiling water. After 4 minutes add the leaves. Cook until the pasta is al dente, usually 11–13 minutes in all.
12 minStep 4: Meanwhile, warm the rest of 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in the frying pan over a low heat with 3 cloves garlic and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic is just pale gold. Common mistake: letting the garlic brown; it turns bitter and fights with the greens.
Step 5: Lift the pasta and greens into the pan with a slotted spoon, bringing some water with them. Toss over a medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes, until the greens break down and coat the pasta in a green, oily sauce.
2 minStep 6: Serve scattered with the toasted breadcrumbs.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does orecchiette con cime di rapa take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of coarse dry breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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