Name: Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa, Sausage and a touch of Chilli
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and sliced; 75g – 100g Italian sausage, removed form the sausage skin; ⅛ teaspoon chilli flakes, or more or less to taste; Sprig of fresh rosemary; 75g – 100g cime di rapa; 60ml light, dry white wine; 2 anchovies, chopped; 100g dried orecchiette; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

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A month ago I had never heard of cime di rapa. @pastastories posted about it on insta, along with a fabulous photograph for this dish which I really wanted to try. It was not an easy vegetable to find! Although hugely popular in Italy, it is not common over here. I tracked it down in Vincenzo’s, an Italian food hall in Kensington, and Charlotte and Harry kindly went in to pick some up.

Cime di Rapa is a member of the brassicaceae family and looks rather like tender stemmed broccoli, with leaves and clusters of buds. It has a stronger flavour, slightly bitter but also deliciously nutty. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, I can understand why it is such a popular vegetable in Mediterranean cuisine.

I went to our fabulous Italian/Japanese delicatessen Vallebona to buy some artisan orecchiette pasta, some of their gorgeous Tuscan fennel sausages and, of course, Pecorino Romano. They also suggested that I add some anchovies. So, here it is – on the table 15 minutes from beginning to end. Bursting with flavour and goodness, a range of textures, a kick of chilli and a jolly good grating of sharp, salty and wonderfully aromatic Pecorino Romano. Although quite different in taste, it would also be delicious with tenderstem broccoli, if you cannot find cime di rapa or if it is out of season.

How to make Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa, Sausage and a touch of Chilli

Collect all the ingredients together:

olive oil
garlic, peeled and sliced
Italian sausage, removed form the sausage skin
chilli flakes
fresh rosemary
cime di rapa
white wine
anchovies, chopped
orecchiette
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated pecorino cheese

How to make it:

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, as instructed on the packet, until al dente.
Finely chop the rosemary and remove the sausage from the sausage skin and break up into pieces
Heat the oil over a moderate heat in pan and add add the garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring for around 30 seconds and then add the sausage and chopped rosemary. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is nearly cooked.
As the sausage cooks, finely chop the anchovies and chop the cime di rapa, removing any thick stems.
When the sausage meat is nearly cooked, add the anchovies, cime di rapa and the wine. Cook on a moderately high temperature for 2 minutes.
When the pasta is cooked, remove and set aside a quarter cup of the cooking water and the drain the pasta. Tip the pasta into the pan with the sausage and along with 1 tablespoon cooking water, mix and stir well, cook for a minute or two adding extra water if necessary. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

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Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa, Sausage and a touch of Chilli

On the table 15 minutes from beginning to end, this quick pasta dish is bursting with flavour and goodness, a range of textures, a kick of chilli and a jolly good grating of sharp, salty and wonderfully aromatic Pecorino Romano. Serves 1

Course Lunch, Supper

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chilli, cime di rapa, cocktail sausages, Pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
75g – 100g Italian sausage, removed form the sausage skin
⅛ teaspoon chilli flakes, or more or less to taste
Sprig of fresh rosemary
75g – 100g cime di rapa
60ml light, dry white wine
2 anchovies, chopped
100g dried orecchiette
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, as instructed on the packet, until al dente.
Finely chop the rosemary and remove the sausage from the sausage skin and break up into pieces.
Heat the oil over a moderate heat in pan and add add the garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring for around 30 seconds and then add the sausage and chopped rosemary. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is nearly cooked.
As the sausage cooks, finely chop the anchovies and chop the cime di rapa, removing any thick stems.
When the sausage meat is nearly cooked, add the anchovies, cime di rapa and the wine. Cook on a moderately high temperature for 2 minutes.
When the pasta is cooked, remove and set aside a quarter cup of the cooking water and the drain the pasta.
Tip the pasta into the pan with the sausage and along with 1 tablespoon cooking water, mix and stir well, cook for a minute or two adding extra water if necessary. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.