Recipe for Orecchiette with Anchovies Fillets, Broccoli & Sundried Tomatoes.
Orecchiette is a typical pasta shape from Puglia in the heel of Italy, although it seems that originally it was produced in Provence in the Middle Ages using the local whole grain. The name means little ear in Italian.
In this recipe we also use two other typical Italian regional ingredients, Anchovy Fillets from Cetara in Campania and Sundried Tomatoes from Sicily.
Ingredients for 4 people:
360g Gragnano ‘Orecchiette’ Pasta
60g Vorrei Sun dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
300g Broccoli
1 Chilli Pepper
Cenzino Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil q. b
1 Clove of Garlic
Handful of Parsley
Sprinkle of fresh or dried Thyme
Pepper
Method
- Chop the thyme if fresh. Remove the seeds from the chilli pepper and chop it finely.
- Cut the heads of the broccoli into small pieces, cut up the more tender stalks too, place heads and stalks in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil, once the water boils add some salt and the orecchiette pasta too and cook following the instructions on the packet.
- Chop the Vorrei Sun dried Tomatoes into little pieces.
- Heat the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan, add the garlic clove, the anchovies, the chilli and the thyme, cook until the anchovies become lighter in colour.
- Drain the broccoli and orecchiette pasta and add to the frying pan then add the Vorrei Sun dried Tomatoes. If necessary add a ladle of pasta water. Cook on a medium heat for a few minutes and then turn off the heat. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
- Serve whilst nice and hot!
Cut the broccoli into very small pieces if you have any vegetable-detesting little ones and disguise it with the amazing flavours in this dish! Of course you can also leave out the anchovies to make this a great vegetarian/vegan recipe.