Orecchiette Pasta Carluccios Way Food

ORECCHIETTE WITH CLAMS, SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a separate large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and crumbled, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the clams and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook, removing the clams to a bowl as they open, 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
• Add the pasta, 3/4 cup reserved cooking water, the roasted red peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Simmer, stirring, until the liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes, adding more cooking water as needed; season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the parsley. Add the clams and gently toss.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Broccoli rabe: Roughly chop broccoli rabe, including the florets, leaves, and stems. Blanch in a large pot of salted boiling water, 2-3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath for 2-3 minutes to stop the cooking. (Don't drain the water; keep it boiling to cook the pasta.) Remove broccoli rabe from ice bath and squeeze out excess water with your hands. Set aside.
• Sausage: Set a medium skillet over high heat and add olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic and add to the sausage. Stir and cook 1 more minute. Mix the broccoli rabe into the sausage and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste, followed by chilies, and continue cooking 3-4 more minutes.
• Pasta: Put the orecchiette in the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes less than what the box advises (it will be al dente, says chef Mantuano, though not as chewy as other pasta shapes). Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't clump.
• Sauce: Add chicken stock to the sausage mixture to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Assembly: Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain orecchiette, then return to the pot. Add sauce to the pot and stir. Cook over low heat, gently tossing the pasta with the sauce for 1-2 minutes to allow it to "marry"-or absorb-the sauce. (Add pasta water bit by bit if the sauce seems too dry.) Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Transfer to a platter or bowl. Garnish with Pecorino Romano and serve immediately, with more cheese at the table.

HOMEMADE ORECCHIETTE PASTA

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour and salt in a large bowl or on a marble work surface. Make a well in the center.
• Pour water into the well a little at a time, mixing it with the flour. Add as much water as needed to make a sticky but compact dough.
• Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is elastic and smooth, but not too soft, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.
• Work with one portion of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered to keep it from drying out. Dust a work surface with semolina flour; roll out the dough to make a rope, about 1/3 inch thick.
• Cut off little 1/3-inch thick pieces. Pick up knife with a rounded tip. Carefully hold one side of the dough with your index finger. Hold the knife in your other hand. Gently drag the small piece of dough towards you. Lift up the knife by the end in such a way that you get a thicker edge. You'll obtain a small disk of dough, thinner in the centre. Press the disk gently against your thumb and it will curve.
• Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. Transfer orecchiette onto a floured surface and sprinkle with more semolina flour. Do not overlap orecchiette or they will stick together. Let dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI AND PECORINO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Spread out the broccoli florets on a rimmed baking sheet and toss them with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the salt. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Meanwhile, add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the anchovy paste and the garlic to the hot pan. Cook, mashing up the anchovy paste with a wooden spoon, until the anchovy has dissolved into the oil and the garlic has become softened and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta, the roasted broccoli, and the parsley, red pepper flakes, pecorino, lemon zest, raisins and pine nuts to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLINI AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add the orecchiette and cook to al dente (take 3 minutes off of the time on the box; it'll finish cooking later). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the broccolini and cook until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the pasta and sausage to the skillet along with the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper and a bunch of turns of black pepper. Stir in a few tablespoons of the pasta water and continue to cook, stirring, until glossy, adding more pasta water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Sprinkle with more Parmesan before serving.

ORECCHIETTE WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Cook the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool, saving the cooking water. Bring the reserved cooking water back to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the orecchiette and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Strain the broccoli rabe and add it to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices. Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

ONE PAN ORECCHIETTE PASTA

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.