Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa from Puglia

I was on my new year day long walk. Yes this is a tradition of mine to start the year with a long, i mean really long like 15 kms long walk. Fortunately the weather was great and I was catching up with all my friends over calls and walking. I walked to Victoria park and then wandered away to parts of Hackney. I got a coffee and was just hanging around a grocery which had real lovely vegetables displayed outside.

Swiss chard got my attention. And I picked two bunches, and then another big green leafy box caught more of my attention. What was this? From my childhood, I did recall something similar which was like turnip leaves, but they werent this huge. I read a label below ‘Cime di rapa’. I googled to check, and seems it was called Rapini in the UK. I lifted my head to check the grocery store name and it was Italian. Joined the dots quickly (yes I am smart), it was more of an Italian vegetable in Europe and the deli being Italian was selling it.

I got a huge bunch. Back home I decided to make a standard stir fry with some Indian spices, but it was a large quantity. On some more research I found this seems to be a thing in Puglia, the sunny heel of Italy. And there is a recipe which is super easy and healthy made with Orecchiette pasta (pig ears shaped pasta, supercute!!). Now I haven’t been to Puglia, but this dish definitely had all my attention and appetite. So I made it.

Ingredients

• 200gms roughly chopped cime di rapa or rapini. Stocks and leaves both. Increase the quantity as you please, I made it only for myself.
• 50gms orecchiette pasta. Honestly anything else will do if you aren’t into the ‘be authentic’ game or do not have any italian partner.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Method

• In a large wok or saucepan heat water and add salt when it boils.
• Add the rapini and boil for a min and add the pasta. Now as per pack instructions orecchiette pasta needed 10 minutes, so I more or less boiled them together. If yours is different you may want to add them at a different time. The vegetable takes about 6-7 minutes to soften

• Once done drain using a colander/sieve.
• In a pan heat olive oil, add chilli flakes and crushed garlic. Saute for 1-2 min just to lose the raw flavour. Add the pasta and toss around.
• Season with salt and crushed pepper
• To serve, place in a pasta bowl and grate some parmesan cheese and drizzle olive oil. ENJOY!!

Recipe Variations

Now this is totally a vegetarian recipe. I read different ones which also include anchovies or Italian sausages. Some also add a touch of double cream. In my head when I imagine these flavours, I think they all will make some fantastic additions. So I would say go for it and try them out.

And I have mentioned this in the ingredients, you can really use some other pasta if you do not have orecchiette. It would taste just the same. Since the dish does not have a sauce, its best to have a shorter pasta.

Final thoughts on Orecchiette con cime di rapa

I think it’s my sign to visit Puglia, since I have created this Puglian recipe just by reading about it. I love Italian food and I would say I was Italian or Spanish in my past life. But Iam enjoying visiting these countries and savouring the food they offer. And most of all re-creating the food I get a chance to try.

Do try this simple and super healthy recipe, fit for Veganuary. Or even any other day of the year. And let me know how it turned out. Until next time Eat Healthy!