Orecchiette pasta with ‘cime di rapa’ (broccoli rabe) and pancetta
- 400g Orecchiette pasta
- 4 tablespoons (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small red chilli, chopped
- 100 g pancetta, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon canned pesto
- 1 heaped tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Pecorino cheese, finely grated to serve
- Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
Place a large pot with water on high heat and bring to the boil. Add the Orecchiette pasta, broccoli rabe and a pinch of salt to the boiling water and cook until the pasta is ‘al dente’ – refer to the cooking time specified in pasta packet instructions.
Meanwhile, place half of the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, chilli and pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally until the pancetta is crisp (approximately 5 minutes), then add the pesto.
Drain the pasta with broccoli rabe, reserving 2 tablespoons (40ml) of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the drained pasta, broccoli rabe and reserved cooking water to the frying pan and toss well over the heat for 1 minute to soak up lovely flavour, then remove from the heat. Add the remaining olive oil and parsley to the frying pan. Toss to combine.
Divide the Orecchiette pasta with ‘cime di rapa’ (broccoli rabe) and pancetta among serving bowls. Top with grated Pecorino cheese– Buon appetito.
400g Orecchiette pasta|4 tablespoons (80ml) extra virgin olive oil|1 garlic clove, crushed|1 small red chilli, chopped|100 g pancetta, cut into thin strips|1 tablespoon canned pesto|1 heaped tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped|Pecorino cheese, finely grated to serve|Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper|1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
Vanessa Bottaro
Vanessa is Creative Director of the Italian Spoon website and Author of The Italian entertaining cookbook, a collection of home-style Italian recipes and tips for entertaining in true Italian-style. In addition to cooking and taking photographs, Vanessa writes the recipes and blogs to bring the love of Italian cooking to life! The collection of recipes and blogs on the website have been inspired by travels to Italy and desire to share what she has learnt from the great ‘Mamma’s and ‘Nonna’s in her life!
Vanessa is an entrepreneur and wife to husband Simone and the mother of two beautiful kids Dante and Mia. Even so she was born and lives in Melbourne Australia, Vanessa has a deep connection to Italy. Perhaps it is the food, or maybe it is because it is the place where Vanessa met the love of her life, Simone to whom she has been happily married for so many years.
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