Orecchiette con Broccoli
Cucina povera is at the heart of this delicious meal, emphasising simplicity and resourcefulness by making the most of broccoli when it is in season. Sourcing the highest grade dried pasta made with quality milled flour will give this dish a protein boost. And, even though meat is seen as a luxury and only for special occasions in Sicilian villages, you may be inspired to add some Sicilian pork and fennel sausages with their casings removed. Simply chop and fry up alongside the cooked broccoli.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for a few days and reheat in a fry pan with lots of olive oil - the crispy bits are without doubt the best reward for having some of this set aside for leftovers! I hope this dish will become a firm favourite and one that can be called upon for a midweek meal.
Serves: 4 - 6
Preparation: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg broccoli florets and stalks, cut into 3cm pieces
4-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
1-2 teaspoons chilli flakes, or to taste
400g orecchiette pasta, or another pasta of your choice
2 cups of reserved pasta water
1 cup freshly grated pecorino pepato cheese (parmigiano regiano is good too)
Extra grated pecorino cheese, for sprinkling on top when serving
Extra virgin olive, for drizzling
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
METHOD
Fill a large pot with water, add salt and boil.
Add the broccoli florets and stalks to the boiling water and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until just tender (do not overcook the broccoli at this stage, as we will continue cooking it later).
In the meantime, heat a large fry pan, add the olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes and cook over a low heat for 1 minute until the flavours are infused (do not burn the garlic - otherwise you will need to start this process again!).
Take the tender broccoli out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon (reserving the water to cook the pasta - do not strain it!) and immediately place the broccoli into the fry pan to slowly sauté over a low heat for approximately 8 minutes. Taste to check for seasoning. (Do not add too much salt at this stage as we will be adding cheese.) Once the broccoli is ready, take out half of the broccoli mixture and put it aside in another bowl reserved for the topping at the end.
Meanwhile, add the orecchiette pasta to the simmering boiling water and cook until al dente. Once the pasta is ready, reserve two cups of the pasta water in a jug and put aside.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the pasta and place it straight into the fry pan with the remaining broccoli and saute over high heat until everything is combined.
Next, add 1/2 - 1 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to amalgamate the pasta and broccoli. If it needs more water at this stage, add a little bit more until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Once combined, remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the grated pecorino cheese, mixing well. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
To serve, place the orecchiette con broccoli in a large dish (for sharing) or individual plates and top with the remaining sauteed broccoli, extra grated cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately!
