orecchiette

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a classic dish from Apulia, the region of Italy that makes up the heel of the country’s boot shape. To make the dish more colorful, I added red bell pepper to the traditional mix. The sweetness of the peppers makes a nice contrast to the bitter greens.

Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe and Red Pepper

broccoli rabe

extra virgin olive oil

garlic cloves,

red pepper flakes

red bell pepper, finely diced

Salt

ricotta salata, pecorino,

Cut away the tough stem ends of the broccoli rabe and wash well. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt and add the broccoli rabe. Cook for 5 minutes, until tender, and transfer using a spider or a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice cold water. Let sit for a few minutes and drain. Squeeze out water and chop very fine. Bring the water back to a boil and add the orecchiette. Cook al dente, following the timing instructions on the package (usually 9 to 10 minutes).

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the diced red bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the broccoli rabe. Toss together for a minute, season to taste with salt, and remove from the heat but keep warm.

Stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water into the greens. Drain the pasta and toss it with the greens, peppers, and cheese. Serve at once.

The little meatballs in this cozy soup are just half-teaspoon bits of Italian sausage that needn’t be rolled or browned before being plopped in. As the meatballs cook, the soup takes on the sausage's spices. This recipe is very adaptable: It calls for carrots and broccoli, but use whatever vegetables you wish. For the pasta, the tiny meatballs fit snugly in orecchiette, but feel free to use your favorite shape.

Mini Meatball Soup With Broccoli and Orecchiette

Kosher salt and black pepper

olive oil

carrots,

chicken broth

sausage,

Parmesan,

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, broccoli stems and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the garlic from scorching, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the broth is flavorful, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as it simmers.

Once the broth begins to simmer, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and divide it among bowls.

While the pasta cooks and the broth simmers, use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop little sausage meatballs and plop them into the broth. (You can also pinch 1/2-inch pieces of the sausage and roll them between your hands.) Return to a boil, add the broccoli florets, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring gently and occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the florets are bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the soup over the orecchiette. Finish with Parmesan.

Recipe video above. Orecchiette has one big thing going for it that other pastas do not: its cup shape makes it the perfect vehicle to hold special pasta sauces. The creamy tomato sausage pasta sauce featured in this recipe is orecchiette worthy. Decadent? Yes. Have salad tomorrow!

Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

/ 14 ounces orecchiette pasta ((or other pasta))

garlic (, minced)

pork

white wine (, anything not too sweet (sub water))

tomato passata ((called "tomato puree" in US, Note 2))

cream (, heavy/thickened)

milk ((any fat %))

parmesan (, finely grated)

tsp Italian herbs ((Note 3))

tsp red pepper flakes ((chilli flakes))

salt and pepper

(packed) kale leaves

Parmesan (, for serving)

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook pasta according to packet directions MINUS 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. (Note 4)

Heat oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

Add sausage meat and cook, breaking it up as you go, until there are some little golden bits - about 4 minutes.

Add wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the golden bits, and allow wine to evaporate - the winey smell will disappear.

Add remaining ingredients except kale. Stir well, bring to simmer then turn stove down to low and simmer gently for 2 minutes to bring all the flavours together.

Add pasta and kale. Toss well for 1 minute to coat pasta well with the sauce - it will thicken. If the sauce gets too thick, use the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up (Note 4).

Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan

You must try this one. Penne and rigatoni work well in place of orecchiette – and are widely available everywhere.

Broccoli & anchovy orecchiette

broccoli

garlic

anchovy

butter

red chillies

450 g dried orecchiette

Parmesan cheese

A quick and easy soup that will be loved by all!

Chicken, Chickpea, &amp; Orecchiette Pasta Soup

onion, finely diced

carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

low-sodium chicken stock, divided (see note)

salt (may need less depending on the saltiness of the stock)

black pepper

turmeric

curry powder

orecchiette pasta (1 cup)

chicken (1 1/2 cups)

chickpeas,

parsley, chopped,

lemon juice

Parmesan cheese, grated,

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add about six cups stock, salt, pepper, turmeric, and curry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer about five minutes.

Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and chickpeas and continue to cook until pasta is tender and chicken and chickpeas are warm, about 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Garnish with parsley. Pass additional lemon and Parmesan if using,

Broccoli and sausage pair up for an indulgent veg-heavy pasta dinner.

Broccoli Bolognese With Orecchiette

Kosher salt

extra-virgin olive oil,

garlic cloves, smashed

sausage

unsalted butter,

Broccoli and sausage pair up for an indulgent veg-heavy pasta dinner. We generally use sweet Italian sausage, but like any legit weeknight meal, the recipe is flexible, so play around with your favorite style.

Bon Appétit

Broccoli Bolognese with Orecchiette

Cook broccoli in a large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a colander and let cool (save pot of water for cooking pasta). Chop broccoli into small pieces; set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, shaking skillet occasionally, until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Cook sausage and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6–8 minutes.

Bring reserved pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until barely al dente, about 9 minutes (set a timer for 3 minutes less than the package instructions; it will cook more in the skillet).

Meanwhile, ladle about ½ cup pasta cooking liquid from pot into skillet with sausage and add garlic and blanched broccoli. Keep mixture at a low simmer, stirring often and mashing with a potato masher to break up sausage even more, until pasta is finished cooking.

Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pasta to skillet, then ladle in ½ cup pasta water. Cook, stirring, until pasta absorbs most of the liquid and is just al dente, about 4 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted, then transfer pasta to a large bowl. Gradually add 1½ oz. Parmesan, tossing constantly until you have a glossy, emulsified sauce.

Serve pasta topped with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of oil.

A simple fresh tomato pasta dish made with orecchiette pasta from Puglia.

Orecchiette With Fresh Tomatoes And Pecorino

Pound Orecchiette Pasta

Pints Ripe Cherry Tomatoes

Large Garlic Cloves, Minced

Tablespoons Olive Oil

Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Cup Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped

Cups Freshly Grated Pecorino Cheese

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and mix with...

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and mix with the garlic, olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil in a bowl.

Let rest for at least two hours before...

Let rest for at least two hours before you are ready to cook the pasta.

Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of...

Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of boiling water until it is al dente.

Drain, keeping a small cup of the pasta...

Drain, keeping a small cup of the pasta water.

Mix the tomatoes and cheese into the pasta,...

Mix the tomatoes and cheese into the pasta, tossing to combine.

Add a little of the pasta water if...

Add a little of the pasta water if the pasta seems dry and mix well.

Taste, and season with additional salt if needed...

Taste, and season with additional salt if needed and additional cracked black pepper.

Serve hot.

A more sophisticated take on mac and cheese, this golden-topped casserole has roasted wild mushrooms for a deep, earthy character, and melted fontina for the gooey factor. You can use any kind of mushrooms here. If you can’t get wild ones (also called exotic, and most of them are actually farmed), use whatever is available. The key is to roast them until they are well browned and crisp at the edges so the flavor intensifies. Serve this as a vegetarian main course or as a rich side dish to roast chicken or meats. You can assemble the casserole the day before. Just add a few minutes onto the baking time if it’s cold from the fridge when you pop it into the oven.

Baked Cheesy Pasta With Wild Mushrooms

salt,

black pepper,

rosemary branches

orecchiette, farfalle or other short pasta

heavy cream

ricotta

fontina cheese, grated (1 1/4 cups)

Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

sage

garlic clove, finely grated

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the mushrooms and cut into 1-inch pieces. Toss with the olive oil, the salt, a few grinds of pepper and the rosemary. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and crisped around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Discard rosemary.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for at least a few minutes less than the package directs. (You want the pasta very al dente; it will finish softening in the sauce.) Drain well.

Turn oven up to 500 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the cream, ricotta, fontina, Parmesan, sage, pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir in the pasta and mushrooms. Arrange in a shallow 2-quart gratin dish or 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.

Melissa Clark updates the pasta casserole with fontina cheese and wild mushrooms.

There are a few techniques to making these little buggers. It’s one of my favourite pasta shapes, but weirdly tricky to master. I don’t want that to put you off – I’ve seen both 5-year-olds and 100-year-olds rattling it out in Italy very easily! Approach it with a Zen-like mind and I promise you’ll get into the rhythm soon enough.

Orecchiette

durum wheat flour

Pasta cooks directly in its sauce in this genius vegetarian dish that stars lentils and deeply browned mushrooms.

Pasta With Lentils and Mushrooms

onion,

crimini mushrooms, stems trimmed, chopped into ¾" pieces

kosher salt,

brown lentils,

tomato paste

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Tbsp. unsalted butter,

parsley,

Why boil pasta then toss it with sauce when you could cook it directly in the sauce? This is the question we’ve been asking ourselves ever since Basically editor Sarah Jampel’s genius vegetarian pasta dish entered our lives. Lentils, browned mushrooms, tomato paste, and other friends get a head start before pasta joins the party; as the noodles cook, they absorb the tomato-rich broth while releasing the starches that eventually form a creamy sauce. Depending on the power of your burner, you might find that your liquid is evaporating before your noodles are al dente. If this happens, just add very hot water to the pot, about ½ cup at a time, until the pasta is cooked.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deeply browned and starting to stick to bottom of pot, 12–14 minutes. Season lightly with salt.

Add garlic, lentils, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste darkens slightly and lentils are coated, about 2 minutes. Add 7 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until lentils are tender but still have some bite, 12–14 minutes.

Add pasta and 1 tsp. salt to pot. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring often (especially as the liquid starts to reduce toward the end) and adding very hot water by ½ cupfuls as needed if liquid is reducing too fast, until pasta is cooked through and liquid is reduced, 10–14 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and stir in Parmesan, butter, and ½ cup parsley. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Divide among bowls and top with more Parmesan and parsley.

Borrowing a classic French sauce technique, this easy pasta dish balances cheesy, bacon-y richness with bright and light spring vegetables.

Creamy Orecchiette With Spring Onions, Fennel, and Bacon Recipe

(about 6 ounces; 170 grams) thick-cut bacon

(450 grams) spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts divided and thinly sliced (see note)

fennel

(60 milliliters) water

baking soda

(235 milliliters) heavy cream

(450 grams) dried orecchiette pasta

In a large, straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until meaty parts are crisp and fatty parts are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to a cutting board and reserve rendered bacon fat in the pan. Cut bacon crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces; set aside.

Return pan to stovetop and increase heat to medium-high. Add white and light green spring onion parts, fennel, and water, season with salt and cook, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until vegetables just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add baking soda, stir to combine, and continue to cook until vegetables are very soft and beginning to break down, about 8 minutes longer.

Add remaining green parts of spring onions. Cook until well-incorporated with vegetable mixture and just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and emulsified, about 1 minute. Season lightly with salt. Wipe out sauté pan and transfer blended sauce back to the pan, passing through a fine-mesh strainer if desired. Warm sauce over low heat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the pan to prevent skin from forming.

Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook orecchiette until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package directs). Reserve pasta cooking water.

Transfer pasta to pan along with 1/2 cup pasta water and bacon, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring rapidly until sauce has thickened slightly and pasta is well-coated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, season generously with pepper, add Parmigiano, and stir rapidly to combine. Season with salt, if needed. Divide pasta into serving bowls and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.

An easy one-dish recipe using uncooked pasta, raw sausage, pantry ingredients and fresh mozzarella that bakes into a cheesy, saucy Italian casserole with perfectly al dente pasta, browned sausage &#8220;meatballs&#8221; and gooey, melted cheese.

No-Boil, No-Brown Italian Sausage & Pasta Bake

oz orecchiette pasta (or something similar)

32 oz jar spaghetti

beef broth

water

garlic powder

salt

pepper

oregano

Italian sausage links (1.25 lbs or so)

oz fresh mozzarella balls

Fresh grated parmesan and chopped parsley (optional)

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce - a simple vegetarian pasta dish hailing from Tuscany that is easy to make, healthy and oh so delicious!

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce 

broccoli florets-

short pasta- orecchiette pasta, penne, rigatoni, etc

shallot,

garlic cloves- rough chopped

chili flakes

salt and pepper, more to taste

miso paste (or sub 1-2 mashed anchovies)

veggie broth or chicken broth

lemon zest

Steam small broccoli florets until very tender (easily pierced with a fork)and set aside.

Cook the pasta in 8 cups water with 1 tablespoon salt (measure),  Save a cup of hot pasta water when you drain.

In a large pan, saute the shallot and garlic and chili flakes in the olive oil, over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the miso paste (or anchovy), then add steamed broccoli,  salt, pepper and the broth.

Bring to a gentle simmer and start breaking apart the broccoli with a metal spatula into tiny pieces. As it cooks it will get easier to break apart. You want the broccoli to basically melt down into a &#8220;sauce&#8221;.  Continue simmering gently on low heat until half of the liquid evaporates and it becomes the consistency of a thick sauce, about 10-15 minutes.

If it seems watery and separated, just keep cooking it down. It won&#8217;t be smooth- but just broken down and very very tender.

Add the pasta. Toss well. Add more hot pasta water to keep it &#8221; saucy.&#8221; Add the lemon zest.

Taste for salt, adjust, adding more along with pepper, chili flakes. If you want more richness add another splash of olive oil (or pat of butter- my husband loves this). Stir in some optional pecorino.

Divide among pasta bowls and top with any of the garnishes you like. Grated Parmesan or pecorino  adds depth,basil ribbons add flavor, and a drizzle of truffle oil elevates.

My wife and I have been making this recipe once a week for the last year. 

Slight alterations: we steam the broccoli in a pressure cooker, and add a little extra garlic and chili.

One of our favourite all-time recipes, thanks for publishing!

I see some people complaining in the comments about losing the vibrant green color. A simple solution is to add a quarter teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to the steaming water. And there you have it. Emerald green broccoli!

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