Making Orecchiette Pasta with Luca
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- Homemade Orecchiette (recipe below) or 1 lb bag of dried orecchiette
- 2 lbs Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed
- 1 large bunch Broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed and roughly chopped (Broccolini is a less bitter substitute)
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 4-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup fresh Parmesan
- 4 Tbsp good olive oil, divided
- Zest and juice from ½ lemon
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water
- Top with breadcrumbs (optional)
Directions
Roughly chop broccoli rabe, removing tough stems and blanche in salted boiling water; Remove the greens and boil your pasta in the same water; While that cooks build your sauce; Sauté 3 anchovy in olive oil until dissolved; Add sausage, letting sit to brown; Then add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for one minute; Then deglaze with white wine and reduce by about half; Add bitter greens back in and sauté all together for about 5 mins; Add cooked pasta, a handful of parmesan and ½ – 1 cup of the pasta water and toss vigorously to emulsify into a glossy sauce; Finish with a little lemon juice, zest and top with bread crumbs and additional parmesan for serving.
Homemade Orecchiette Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- Semolina flour (200 grams for 4 people)
- Boiling water (120 grams)
Note: for every 100 grams of flour, use 60 grams of water
Directions
- STEP 1: Make the dough
Add flour and make a well. Slowly place the boiling water in the middle of the well. Helping yourself with a fork start incorporating the flour with the water until you have a paste that you can start working with your hands.
- STEP 2: Knead
Spread some flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 6-12 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. You will know it is ready when you impress a thumb in the dough and dough bounces back immediately. Wrap dough in saran wrap and rest for 15 minutes up to 2 hours.
- STEP 3: Roll & Cut
Take the dough and with the knife divide in 4 equal parts. Take a quarter (wrapping the remainder of dough back into saran wrap) and start rolling it out into a long thin rope about 1/2 inch in diameter.
- STEP 4: Shape the Orecchiette
Cut the rope into small pieces about ¼ inch long. Using your knife (press down on each piece of dough and drag it towards you. It will curl up on itself then you turn it inside out over your finger (See video link for a visual reference). Place on a floured sheet pan. Cook right away, or let sit up to two days to cook later.
- STEP 5: Finish making the orecchiette
Repeat this process with each piece of dough until you have enough orecchiette for your desired serving size.
- STEP 6: Cooking Homemade Orecchiette
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (Or use the rabe water from the recipe above). Drop in the orecchiette and cook for 2-6 minutes. Once pasta begins to float to the top, give them 1 more minute and remove from water.
