orecchiette with broccoli rabe

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 9 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional but i usually add way more than this)
• ice water
• 1 1/2 lbs trimmed broccoli rabe (i don't think that regular broccoli would be a good substitute)
• 1 lb dried orecchiette
• kosher salt

Recipe

• 1 in an unheated large saute pan, add garlic and pepper flakes to oil and then turn the heat to medium.
• 2 allow the garlic and flakes to color lightly but not burn.
• 3 cook for about 1-2 minutes.
• 4 turn off heat and set aside.
• 5 place a large bowl of ice water nearby.
• 6 in a large pot of salted water, brought up to the boil, add the brocccoli rabe and cook for 2-4 minutes until just tender.
• 7 using tongs remove broccoli rabe from the boiling water into the bowl of ice water to stop it's cooking but leave the water boiling on high for your pasta.
• 8 drain broccoli rabe from ice water and then gently squeeze out excess liquid and chop into 2" lengths.
• 9 add the pasta to the boiling water that was used for the broccoli rabe.
• 10 cook according to the package directions.
• 11 add the broccoli rabe to the saute pan with the oil and garlic.
• 12 return to medium heat, stir occasionally and add salt to taste.
• 13 cook for about 3-4 minutes until broccoli rabe is hot and heated through.
• 14 drain pasta (you don't need the water anymore).
• 15 return pasta to the still warm cooking pot.
• 16 add the broccoli rabe along with all the oil and garlic and flakes to the pasta in the pot.
• 17 toss briefly-- the oil becomes your"sauce".
• 18 it should coat everything lightly and not be excessively oily.
• 19 serve immediately.
• 20 if you like you can add freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese but i think it tastes better without.