‘Cime di Rapa’ pasta – Traditional gastronomy from the south of Italy 2019/11/14

Today I present a rich and delicious traditional recipe from the south of Italy gastronomy. Perhaps you don’t have all the ingredients, but keep it in mind to take ideas and adapt it to your ingredients and when you come to beautiful Italy, you’ll know exactly what to order

The vegetable we will use is cultivated in the Southern Italian region known as Cima di Rapa (Brassica Rapa subspecies. Sylvestris var. succulent) stems of the plant are used, sprouts where the flowers come unopened (inflorescence) and the softest leaves that surround it

The pasta is served as first course to later serve a second course, normally meat or fish, for this case consider that 500 grams of pasta serve up to 6-8 people. But if the pasta is served as a main course, then 500 grams serve 5-6 people

Ingredients

• 500 grams of Orecchiette, small ‘ear’ shaped pasta and Pizaiedri, roll shaped pasta
• 1 kg Cime di Rapa
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 - 4 anchovies
• Olive oil
• Salt and paper to taste
• Fresh cheese (cacioricotta), it’s a fresh goat cheese

In Italy, pasta is handmade a day before, but we also have the advantage of easily finding it in packages in stores on the refrigerated zone

This is the Cima di Rapa, we select the tender stems, sprouts and leaves, removing the hard or old leaves and stems and the sprouts where flowers have opened. Wash under running water. Boil it with water up to half of the pot

Aside, on a large pan, we lightly fry the garlic and olive oil, when it has released its flavor we add the tomatoes in halves and sauté and lightly golden it, then we add the water from the Cima di Rapa boiling

After 5 minutes, when the Cima di Rapa starts softening, we add the pasta to the same pot, take the water to a boil for about 7 minutes, time for the pasta to cook

Once the pasta is cooked, we transfer it with the vegetables to the pan and integrate all the ingredients

This are the famous “orecchiette e pizaideri alle cima di rapa” traditional southern Italian dish, which is liked during mealtime

If you want you can add fresh goat cheese preferably, try it with or without cheese, I hope you enjoy it

Prepare “Le Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa” for a total Italian style party and complement your event with the PIZZA themed party kit available in the store!

Pleasure to make your party special

Eli R.