I think orecchiette are an under-appreciated pasta shape. Everyone has their favorite, but I don’t think these are at the top of the list for many people. That’s a shame. It’s a wonderful shape, if you can find the right sauce or recipe, and this one is definitely up there, they are a great shape! The recipe only calls for a small amount of pepperoncini, but you can add more if you like your food on the spicey side.
Looking for a hearty pasta recipe, but not this one? Try one of these:
- Farfalle with Beets and Pine Nuts
- Fettuccine with Peas and Asparagus
- Pasta alla Puttanesca
- Penne with Olives, Feta, and Greens
- Rigatoni with Shrimp, Peas, and Basil
- Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage Red Sauce
Orecchiette with Broccoli, Garlic, and Pine Nuts
With the addition of broccoli and cream, this is a hearty pasta dish and would make a good choice as a main dish for a vegetarian meal
Ingredients
- 2 broccoli crowns cut into florets
- ½ cup olive oil, plus 4 tbsp to serve extra virgin
- 5-6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup cream
- 1 lb orecchiette pasta
- â…“ cup pine nuts toasted
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated or shaved
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli and simmer for 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Toast the pine nuts in a small fry pan over medium-low heat. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate pan and gently cook the garlic and chili for 1 minute or until the garlic is golden brown. When the broccoli florets are tender scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon and add to the pan with the garlic and chili along with 1/2 cup of the broccoli cooking water, reserving the remaining water. Using the back of a fork crushed the broccoli with the garlic to form a coarse puree.
- Add the cream to the broccoli puree and heat thoroughly.
- Return the pan containing the broccoli cooking water to the heat and bring to a boil. Make sure it is salted enough, there should be 1/4 cup of salt per 5 quarts of water for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and pour into a large serving bowl.
- Top with the broccoli puree and drizzle with the additional olive oil. Scatter with toasted pine nuts and basil leaves. Toss until evenly distributed. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve with parmesan.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!