PASTA ORECCHIETTE RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Using a small knife, trim round the broccoli to remove the dark green florets from the main stalks and put them to one side. Peel the stalks, trim off the dry end and throw this away. Peel and chop the garlic.
  2. Finely chop the broccoli stalk and put into a large pan with the garlic, anchovies and half the butter. Crumble in the chilli, cover with a lid and cook slowly for 8 to 10 minutes while you cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
  3. Something I like to do which is slightly different (but better, I’d like to think) is to cook the broccoli florets with the pasta for the last 4 minutes – this makes them soft enough to eat but leaves them with great colour and texture.
  4. Drain the pasta and broccoli, saving a little of the cooking water, then toss into the other pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, the rest of the butter and finely grate in a large handful of Parmesan. Mix well, adding a little of the cooking water, to loosen, if needed, and make it shine.
  6. Serve immediately, sprinkling with another good handful of finely grated Parmesan.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Stir arugula into pasta-sausage mixture until arugula wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.