Pasta With Broccoli Or Turnip Tops - (Orecchiette Con Cima Di Rapa) - Puglia

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   ["Bring to a boil 7 litres of water with 70 grams of salt added to cook the pasta in. Do not add oil to the water.", "Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 30 mls of olive oil. Add the anchovies first and stir until they melt into the olive oil. Next add the chilli, garlic, and salt.", "Stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes) and remove from heat (can add a bit of water if the garlic begins to colour).", "Cook the turnip tops (or broccoli) in the boiling water for 6 minutes (8 minutes for broccoli) and remove with a slotted spoon to the chilli, garlic, and anchovy mixture with 2 tablespoons of the pasta water.", "Add the orecchiette to the water and cook for the time indicated on the instructions on the package.", "Meanwhile if using broccoli, smash it up with the back of a spoon or spatula and sprinkle with the salt. You can also puree it a bit in a food processor if you prefer it more consistently smooth. Remove pasta and drain well (do not rinse) and add to the turnip top mixture.", "Add the 70 mls of olive oil, mix well, and top with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.", "Variations

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   If you feel that boiling the broccoli removes too many of the nutrients, instead you can add the raw broccoli to the cooked anchovy, chilli, garlic mixture with 100 mls of water and cover with a lid over medium low heat to steam. Cook, stirring twice until the broccoli is soft (can keep adding a bit of water if necessary) and can be pierced easily with a fork, about 10 minutes. Break it up with a with a spoon or spatula or puree in a food processor. Then toss with the cooked pasta, cook another minute, and mix with the olive oil and serve.

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   Shortcuts

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   If I have leftover broccoli from a side dish of broccoli with garlic and anchovy (see recipe here), I will reheat it and puree it to dress the pasta.

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   Also if I have left over bagna cauda, I just boil the broccoli and mash it with the bagna cauda to dress the pasta."]

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.