Best 6 Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe Pesto Recipes

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Indulge in a culinary journey to Southern Italy with orecchiette con cime di rapa, a traditional dish that embodies the essence of Puglian cuisine. This delectable pasta dish is a symphony of flavors, textures, and colors, featuring handmade orecchiette pasta, sautéed broccoli rabe, and a tantalizing pesto sauce. Embark on a culinary adventure with this authentic recipe, exploring the nuances of orecchiette's unique shape, the subtle bitterness of broccoli rabe, and the vibrant green hue of the pesto. Unleash your inner chef and savor the authentic taste of Puglia with every bite.

Within this comprehensive guide, you'll find a treasure trove of variations and accompaniments to elevate your orecchiette experience. Discover how simple ingredient swaps, such as using kale or spinach instead of broccoli rabe, can create distinct flavor profiles. Enhance the dish with the addition of succulent shrimp, tender chicken, or crispy pancetta for a protein-packed meal. Explore the art of crafting the perfect pesto sauce, experimenting with different nuts, herbs, and cheeses to create a customized flavor masterpiece. Delve into the secrets of cooking orecchiette to achieve the ideal texture, whether you prefer a firm bite or a softer, more delicate chew.

Whether you're a seasoned home cook or just starting your culinary journey, this comprehensive guide to orecchiette con cime di rapa will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration to create an unforgettable dish that will transport your taste buds to the heart of Puglia. So, gather your ingredients, prepare your kitchen, and embark on a culinary adventure that promises to delight and satisfy.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO AND SAUSAGE



Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto and Sausage image

Provided by Anne Burrell

Categories     main-dish

Time 30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Kosher salt
2 bunches of broccoli rabe, tough lower stems removed, coarsely chopped into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mascarpone
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, casings removed
1 pound orecchiette
Big fat finishing oil
Freshly grated Parmigiano

Steps:

  • For the pesto: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Drop the rabe into the water, give it a swish, and remove it immediately, saving the water to cook your pasta in later.
  • Reserve a cup of the rabe. Toss the rest in a food processor and pulse, pulse, pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and Parm and puree until smooth. If it seems dry, drizzle in a little olive oil while the machine is running. Add the mascarpone and pulse until combined; taste for seasoning. It should be slightly bitter, nutty, and creamy at the same time. Reserve.
  • For the pasta: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the sausage, using a spoon to break it up, and cook until brown and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Bring your broccoli rabe water back to a boil and toss in the pasta, cooking for 1 minute less than the package recommends. Drain the pasta and add it, along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, the reserved rabe, and two-thirds of the pesto, to the pan with the sausage. Stir to combine and cook until the water evaporates and the pesto is clinging to the pasta. Remove from the heat, drizzle with some big fat finishing oil, sprinkle with more Parm, and stir vigorously to combine. Divide among bowls and serve immediately.
  • What delightful little ears!

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI-RABE PESTO



Orecchiette with Broccoli-Rabe Pesto image

Crisp salami adds a welcome piquant crunch to this bright, nutty fall pasta, but feel free to omit if you want to keep it vegetarian.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Pork Recipes

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 pound broccoli rabe, tough stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1 ounce pecorino, grated (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces salami, such as sopressata, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 pound orecchiette
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Steps:

  • Cook broccoli rabe in a large pot of salted boiling water until bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath; drain well. Add to the bowl of a food processor with garlic, walnuts, cheese, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1/4 cup oil; process until smooth.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium. Add salami; cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
  • Meanwhile, return pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups water. Add pasta to skillet with pesto and half of salami. Add pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to evenly coat. Season with pepper and nutmeg, sprinkle with remaining salami, and serve.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SWEET SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE PESTO



Orecchiette With Sweet Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pesto image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories     dinner, pastas, main course

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Salt
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, stems trimmed off and discarded or saved for another use
3 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup finely chopped fennel bulb
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
2 cups chicken stock
500 grams (about 1 1/4 pounds) dried orecchiette, or fresh (made with 4 cups of flour)

Steps:

  • Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add broccoli rabe and cook about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze dry. Turn on a food processor and drop garlic in through the feed tube. Stop machine, scrape down sides and add broccoli rabe. Pulse until finely chopped. Stop machine. Add 6 tablespoons oil. Pulse until pesto comes together but is not creamy or thoroughly emulsified. Transfer to a bowl and fold in ¼ cup cheese.
  • Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan on low. Add fennel and onion, and cook until soft but not brown. Add sausage and cook, mashing it to a fine crumble, until it is no longer pink. Add chicken stock and cook until the stock has mostly evaporated and just glazes the sausage. Transfer sausage mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Return sausage to the pan. Fold in broccoli rabe pesto. Set aside.
  • Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Reheat sausage mixture and add about ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and add to pan with the sausage mixture. Toss ingredients together until pasta is evenly coated. Fold in remaining ½ cup cheese, check seasoning and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 731, UnsaturatedFat 24 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 35 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 32 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 828 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams

BROCCOLI RABE AND ORECCHIETTE



Broccoli Rabe and Orecchiette image

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1/2 pound orecchiette, (little ear shaped pastas) cooked al dente
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds, broccoli rabe 2 large bunches
Salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 or 5 turns of the pan
6 to 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 full teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Black pepper

Steps:

  • Place a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta. Cover pot to bring water to a boil. Salt the water to season it and add half a pound of "little ears" pasta. Cook to al dente, about 7 minutes.
  • Trim ends off broccoli rabe, coarsely chop it and add it to a deep skillet. Add 2 or 3 cups of water to the pan. Cover the pan and bring the broccoli rabe to a boil. When the rabe wilts down into the pan, salt it. Simmer the rabe for about 7 minutes until tender and no longer bitter. The color should remain deep green. Drain the rabe and reserve. Return the deep skillet to the stove and place it over medium heat. Add 5 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and saute 2 to3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccoli rabe and turn to coat them in garlic oil. Drain pasta reserving 3/4 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta and water to the pan. Toss pasta and broccoli rabe with lots of grated cheese, salt and pepper, to your taste. Serve immediately.

EASY ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE



Easy Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe image

Olive oil and Parmesan cheese offset the bite of the broccoli rabe in this classic orecchiette pasta dish.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Pasta and Grains

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 9

Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli rabe, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound orecchiette pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt generously. Add broccoli rabe. Cook until leaves are wilted, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli rabe to colander; drain well.
  • Return water to a boil, and add pasta; cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, 30 seconds, being careful not to brown. Add anchovy fillets, if using, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli rabe; cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add pasta to broccoli rabe mixture; toss to combine, adding reserved cooking water as desired. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve with Parmesan and lemon wedges.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO & SAUSAGE



Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto & Sausage image

Categories     Sausage     Broccoli     Broccoli Rabe     Boil

Yield serves: 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

for the pesto
Kosher salt
2 bunches of broccoli rabe, tough lower stems removed, coarsely chopped into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mascarpone
for the pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, casings removed
1 pound orecchiette
Big fat finishing oil
Freshly grated Parmigiano

Steps:

  • FOR THE PESTO
  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Drop the rabe into the water, give it a swish, and remove it immediately, saving the water to cook your pasta in later.
  • Reserve a cup of the rabe. Toss the rest in a food processor and pulse, pulse, pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and Parm and purée until smooth. If it seems dry, drizzle in a little olive oil while the machine is running. Add the mascarpone and pulse until combined; taste for seasoning. It should be slightly bitter, nutty, and creamy at the same time. Reserve.
  • FOR THE PASTA
  • Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the sausage, using a spoon to break it up, and cook until brown and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Bring your broccoli rabe water back to a boil and toss in the pasta, cooking for 1 minute less than the package recommends. Drain the pasta and add it, along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, the reserved rabe, and two-thirds of the pesto, to the pan with the sausage. Stir to combine and cook until the water evaporates and the pesto is clinging to the pasta. Remove from the heat, drizzle with some big fat finishing oil, sprinkle with more Parm, and stir vigorously to combine. Divide among bowls and serve immediately.

Tips:

  • To save time, use a food processor to finely chop the broccoli rabe and garlic.
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon and then cut it in half to squeeze the juice.
  • If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a food processor to make the pesto.
  • Cook the orecchiette according to the package directions.
  • While the pasta is cooking, sauté the broccoli rabe and garlic in olive oil until the broccoli rabe is tender.
  • Toss the cooked pasta with the broccoli rabe, pesto, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

Conclusion:

This orecchiette with broccoli rabe pesto recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The pesto is flavorful and creamy, and the broccoli rabe adds a slightly bitter note that balances out the sweetness of the pesto. The lemon zest and juice add a bright and refreshing flavor to the dish. This recipe is sure to please everyone at the table.

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