Name: Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage , casings removed; 6 garlic cloves , minced; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 pound broccoli rabe , trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces; Salt and pepper; 1 pound fresh or dried orecchiette; 2 ounces Pecorino Romano , grated (1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

Orecchiette con le cime di rapa is a hearty, subtly spicy pasta dish that might be the most signature (and identifiable) dish of Italy's heel. This isn't surprising considering some dub Puglia “the garden of Italy” for its fertile soil and pleasantly warm climate, which facilitate the growth of vegetables and the wheat used to make the favorite pasta shape of Pugliesi: orecchiette, or “little ears.” Like most pasta shapes in Puglia, its name is sweet—telling of the region's affinity for pasta. Orecchiette has a bowl shape that's great for catching a variety of sauces as well as chunky ingredients like the broccoli rabe in this dish. Its shape is particularly well-suited to hand forming from the wheat-and-water-only dough of southern Italy—it's simply pinched off and formed by thumb, so it doesn't require the suppleness of an egg-based dough. Sausage is a common hearty addition, and the pork's richness mingles well with the bitterness of the greens.

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor and texture of fresh pasta here, but dried can be used as well.

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into rough ½-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add broccoli rabe and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli rabe to skillet with sausage mixture.

Return water to boil, add pasta, and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sausage–broccoli rabe mixture, Pecorino, and ⅓ cup reserved cooking water and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with remaining ⅔ cup reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.