Orecchiette with Rapini is a classic Italian pasta dish that can be made with a fresh (homemade) batch of orecchiette or with packaged orecchiette that can be found at most grocery stores.

Making orecchiette, from scratch, is a very satisfying process. Check out my video for an overview and enjoy my husband’s guitar playing while you are at it!

The word orecchiete means little ears. My grandmother and mother, while they usually called them orecchiette, also referred to them as old man ears so I thought that was the true translation of the word. They could tell me anything in those days and i would believe it. I wonder how many translations I have relayed incorrectly because of their antics. Look closely! They may have been onto something!

Rapini is a bitter green also knows as Broccoli Rabe. It can also be found in any grocery store. Southern Italians love the tinge of bitterness in this dish. Shopping at my local Italian grocery store, I’ve become the social butterfly of the produce department. Every time I spot an 80 plus Italian man or woman selecting their produce, I nudge my way in and spark up a conversation.

On a recent visit, when I was sorting through the fresh olives, I was joined by a 85 year old Sicilian gentlemen who promptly showed me which olives to pick and which to leave behind. He opted for the dark, wrinkled olives because he enjoyed the bitterness of them. He then handed me a bunch of rapini and convinced me that the more bitter the better. Actually, he didn’t have to convince me. I knew it. I did love the reinforcement, however. The conversations would have gone on if my husband hadn’t intervened. I guess I spent a few too many minutes gazing into those 85 year old Sicilian eyes to the point it was making my husband uncomfortable.

Let’s make orecchiette!

Orecchiette with rapini (or sausage and rapini) is perfect for a quick summer evening meal. If you are able to purchase sausage in bulk, I recommend selecting mild or hot Italian sausage for this dish. If you can’t buy it in bulk, select your favorite Italian sausage links and remove the sausage from the casing.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, to drizzle and finish.
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage (hot or mild)
• 4 cloves of chopped garlic
• A bunch of fresh rapini
• 1 pound of orecchiette (cooked to package directions).
• 1/2-1 cup of reserved pasta water
• A handful of Pecorino Romano cheese

01 – The Orecchiette

Cook orecchiette to package instructions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

02 – The Sausage

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a sauté pan. Add in bulk sausage. Break into small balls or chunks. Cook on medium heat for about 30-40 minutes until sausage is cooked through.

Add the garlic and incorporate.

03 – The Rapini

Chop the rapini leaves and buds until you reach the stems. Reserve the stems for another use. Add the rapini leaves to the sausage, allowing it to wilt completely. Stir though and cook a bit longer allowing the oil from the sausage to infuse into the rapini and vice versa. Taste the rapini for bitterness. If too bitter, continue to cook until some of that bitterness is reduced.

Note: Some recipes suggest boiling the rapini in advance to reduce the bitterness but that isn’t necessary in this recipe. In my view, there is something magical about the bitterness combined with a richly seasoned sausage. It is a match made in heaven.

04 – Orecchiette meets sausage and rapini

Add the cooked orecchiette to the sausage and rapini mixture along with 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Mix thoroughly until the pasta water absorbs into the mixture creating a creamy consistency. Add in a hand full of Pecorino Romano cheese and a little more pasta water if needed. Taste and season to your taste.

05 – Indulge!

Serve hot and stay tuned. I will be making orecchiete in my backyard soon and will make a video and recipe of the process.

Pro Tips:

• I always buy my bulk sausage on the spicy side. I like the heat and the slight bitterness when mixed with rapini. If you opt for, or can only find mild sausage, you can add in your own red pepper flakes to give the sausage a little bite, while cooking.
• You can forego the sausage, but you can’t forego the rapini. Orecchiette with rapini (alone) is a regular fast meal around here. Feel free to make it that way, but if you want the ultimate in flavor and richness, take the time to do it all.
• There is no perfection here. Don’t burden yourself with thoughts of what is right or wrong. These ingredients are strong on their own. The only thing I would insist upon is that if you are going to use orecchiette you get a good quality one from an Italian import store or try to make your own. Otherwise, you can substitute the orecchiete for any pasta you like. I find myself in a crunch sometimes and will use penne. That is perfectly fine.

Below, I only had penne on hand and it was super delicious!

Please make this! It is such a satisfying dish that is hearty and bursting with flavor. I can’t pass rapini without buying a bunch or two and at this time of the year, when the air is cooler and you want a little more substance to your meal, this dish fits the bill.

As always, have fun with it. Don’t sweat the details. Enjoy!