Process:

Handmade orecchiette:

Place the flour directly on a flat surface or in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add about half of the warm water (as hot as you can handle) to begin. With a fork or your fingertips, begin to mix the water into the edges of the flour without breaking the outer wall of your well. Gradually incorporate the flour into the center well until all of it has been added. If you need to add more water, just add a little bit at a time. The strong dough should start to come together into a mass but not be sticky at all. This pasta recipe will require some kneading so do a little light stretching and get to work. Keep kneading until you have a firm dough that has only a bit of elasticity. It will be much tougher than a Northern Italian-style dough that is made with eggs. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes to one hour.

Cut the pasta dough ball into quarters then roll out each piece into a round log. Using a butter knife, slice the pasta into 1/2-inch coins, like you would do with gnocchi. For each piece, hold your knife firmly and drag the rough end of the blade over each piece to stretch it out into an oval. The torn ridges that appear on the inside will get flipped over your thumb to the outside of your “little ear” shaped cup. These are the flavor-savors that will help orecchiette pasta pick up the sauce. Lay the orecchiette in a single layer on a kitchen towel lined tray and let them dry for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water up to a boil for the cima di rapa. We’ll be using the same pot to cook the greens and then the pasta. If you let it boil down for too long between batches, add additional water and bring it back up to a boil for the pasta. If the water gets too low, it will become overly salty, so it’s best to work quickly or make sure you fill it back up with additional unsalted water before cooking the pasta.

Blanch the greens in the water for a few minutes until they become a bright green color and the stem parts are tender. Strain the greens out of the water with a kitchen spider or slotted spoon but do not discard the water. Place the greens into a warmed sauté pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Toss lightly and check the seasoning and add some cracked black pepper and optional peperoncino hot chili flakes. Add the oil-preserved anchovies (or skip this step) and let them melt into the oil and cook with the greens. At this point, if you want to puree any of the greens, this will help make a saucier dish but as noted above, southern Italian purists will certainly not be doing this step. If using dry pasta, turn off the heat under the greens while the pasta cooks since it will take much longer than a freshly made pasta.

In the pot of boiling water, carefully add all of orecchiette at once. Give it a very light stir and let it boil until al dente. Fresh pasta will only take a few minutes to cook while a dry pasta can take anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes. Check the package first, and subtract one minute for ideal cooking. Check it with a sample taste and cook a bit longer if necessary. The general Italian rule for cooking pasta is that you never throw away all of the water by dumping the pot into a colander over the sink (unless there is a bowl underneath to catch some of the run-off). Always save a little bit of the cooking water just in case you need to add it back into the sauce. The starches released from the pasta while cooking can help thicken up your sauce.

Place the strained orecchiette into the sauce pan with the greens. Toss to coat evenly and add additional extra virgin olive oil and a splash of cooking water to finish the dish. Serve immediately and top with a bit of grated cheese. Pecorino, parmigiano or can work well with this dish, but be careful with your seasoning because the cheese will add another layer of saltiness. Buon Appetito!