Vegan Handmade Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Fried Breadcrumbs, Reinterpreted | Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa e Mollica Vegane Rivisitate
Orecchiette con cime di rapa is the emblem of Puglia: small ears of durum wheat pasta cooked in the same water as bitter, tender broccoli rabe, then tossed in olive oil with garlic and chili. This version starts from the dough, made by hand with semolina and water only, as it has always been in Bari, so the pasta is vegan by nature. The Bari classic is usually finished with salted anchovies, alici, melted in the oil, so this recipe is a reinterpretation: in their place it uses salted capers for savory depth and a generous handful of mollica, breadcrumbs fried in olive oil, for crunch. The result is green, glossy and rustic, with the bitterness of the greens balanced by the sweetness of good oil.
Yield: 4 servings. Prep: 1 hour 15 minutes, including shaping. Cook: 15 minutes. Rest: 30 minutes for the dough. Course: primo piatto. Region: Puglia.
The Story
Orecchiette belong to Puglia, and above all to Bari and its province. Their name means little ears, and their shape, a disc of dough dragged with a knife and turned over the thumb, gives a thin center and a thicker rim that stays firm when cooked. In Bari Vecchia, the old town, women still sit at wooden boards outside their doors in the narrow streets near the cathedral and make orecchiette by hand all morning, a sight that has made the lane known as Strada Arco Basso famous well beyond the city. Their speed is the result of a lifetime of practice: a knife, a thumb and a movement repeated thousands of times.
The dough of orecchiette has always been simple. Puglia is a land of durum wheat, the hard wheat of the Tavoliere plain around Foggia, one of the great grain areas of Italy, and its semolina mixed with warm water makes a firm, elastic dough without any other ingredient. Rich pastas of the north use uova; the pasta of the south was made by families who kept their resources for bread and needed nothing more than flour and water. This makes the traditional dough fully vegan, and nothing in it needs to be replaced.
Cime di rapa are the flowering tops of a turnip plant, Brassica rapa, picked in autumn and winter when the buds are still closed and the stems tender. Puglia grows them widely, and the local varieties are named after the weeks they take to mature: early ones are ready in about forty days, late ones in about ninety. Their taste is green, mustardy and pleasantly bitter, and it softens when they are boiled. Cooking them in the same pot as the pasta is the Apulian method: the water takes their color and flavor, and the pasta absorbs it.
In many Bari households the classic dish is finished with salted anchovies, alici salate, melted in the oil, while in poorer homes the savory note came from fried breadcrumbs alone, the mollica that the south used in place of grated cheese. This vegan recipe keeps the oldest structure, adds salted capers for depth, and controls the details that make the difference: a dough hydrated to the gram, orecchiette of even thickness, greens cooked to tenderness without losing their color, and a final toss that turns the oil and the cooking water into a light, clinging sauce.
Ingredients
Use semola rimacinata di grano duro, twice-milled durum wheat semolina, not coarse semolina for couscous or soft all-purpose flour: its fine grain absorbs water evenly and makes a smooth, firm dough. Choose broccoli rabe with closed, dark green buds, crisp stems and no yellow flowers, which are a sign of age and bitterness. A fruity, peppery extra virgin olive oil from Puglia, such as Terra di Bari DOP, is the soul of the dish.
For the orecchiette
Semola rimacinata (fine durum wheat semolina), 14 oz (400 g), plus extra for dusting
Warm water, about 100°F (38°C), 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp (195 ml)
Fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp (3 g)
For the broccoli rabe
Broccoli rabe (cime di rapa), 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) before cleaning
Water, 5 quarts (4.7 l)
Coarse sea salt, 2 tbsp (35 g)
For the sauce
Extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup (80 ml)
Garlic, 3 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Dried red chili, crumbled, 1/2 tsp (1 g)
Salted capers, 1 tbsp (10 g), desalted and finely chopped
For the mollica
Day-old country bread, crust removed, 3 oz (85 g), coarsely grated
Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Fine sea salt, 1 pinch
Lemon zest, finely grated, 1/2 lemon, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Make the dough. Mound the semolina with the salt on a wooden board and make a well in the center. Pour in the warm water a little at a time, drawing the semolina in with your fingers, until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead it firmly for 10 minutes, pushing with the heel of the hand and folding it back, until it is smooth, compact and only slightly tacky. The dough should be firmer than a bread dough and spring back slowly when pressed. Wrap it and rest it for 30 minutes at room temperature, so the gluten relaxes and the semolina finishes absorbing the water.
Step 2
Shape the orecchiette. Cut off a piece of dough the size of a lemon and keep the rest covered. Roll it under your palms into a rope about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick, then cut it into pieces of 1/2 inch (1.3 cm). With a round-tipped table knife held almost flat, press each piece and drag it toward you across the board, so it curls into a rough shell. Turn it inside out over the tip of your thumb to make the dome. The rough side from the board faces out and will hold the sauce. Spread the orecchiette on a tray dusted with semolina and let them dry for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
Clean the broccoli rabe. Remove the tough outer leaves and the hard lower part of the stems. Keep the buds, the tender inner leaves and the stems that snap easily, and peel any thicker stem with a small knife. Cut the larger pieces lengthwise so everything is roughly the same thickness. Wash them in plenty of cold water, lifting them out so the grit stays at the bottom. Even pieces cook at the same speed: the buds stay green and the stems become tender together.
Step 4
Make the mollica. Warm 3 tbsp (45 ml) of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, add the grated bread and a pinch of salt and stir constantly for 4 to 6 minutes, until the crumbs are deep gold and crisp. Transfer them at once to a plate lined with paper, and add the lemon zest when they are cool. Breadcrumbs keep cooking in the hot pan, so they must leave it the moment they reach the right color; a few seconds more and they turn bitter.
Step 5
Prepare the oil. In a wide sauté pan, warm 1/3 cup (80 ml) of olive oil with the garlic, the chili and the chopped capers over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the garlic is pale gold and the oil is fragrant. Take the pan off the heat. The capers dissolve partly into the oil and give it the savory depth that alici would give in the non-vegan version. Low heat keeps the garlic sweet; a dark garlic would add bitterness to an already bitter green.
Step 6
Cook the greens and the pasta together. Bring 5 quarts (4.7 l) of water to a rolling boil and add the coarse salt. Add the stems and leaves first and, after 2 minutes, the orecchiette and the buds. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes for freshly made orecchiette, until the pasta is al dente and the stems are tender but still bright green. Stir gently at the start so the pasta does not stick. Before draining, keep 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking water, which now carries the starch of the pasta and the flavor of the greens.
Step 7
Toss everything in the pan. Lift the orecchiette and broccoli rabe with a spider directly into the pan of flavored oil, set it over medium high heat and add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the cooking water. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the water and oil form a light, cloudy sauce and the softest buds break down and coat the pasta in green. Add a little more water if the pan looks dry. The emulsion of oil and starchy water is the sauce of this dish: without it, the pasta would be oily on the outside and dry within.
Plating
Serve in warm, wide bowls, heated to about 140°F (60°C). Set the orecchiette and greens in a loose mound, arranging a few whole buds on top so the plate shows both the pasta and the vegetable, and spoon the remaining sauce from the pan around the base.
Scatter a generous spoonful of mollica over each portion only at the table, so it stays crisp, and finish with a thin thread of raw Apulian olive oil. The guest eats it with a fork or a spoon: each orecchietta should cup a little sauce, a piece of green and a few crumbs together.
Professional Technique
The key ratio is the hydration of the dough: about 48 to 49 percent water on the weight of the semolina, here 195 ml for 400 g. Less water gives a dough that cracks when dragged with the knife; more water gives a sticky dough that loses its shape and cooks soft. Semolina absorbs water slowly, so judge the dough after the rest, not immediately after kneading, and adjust with a few drops of water or a dusting of semolina.
The hidden variable is the thickness of the orecchiette. A good orecchietta is about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thin in the center and twice as thick at the rim. Pieces cut too large stay thick and raw in the center; pieces dragged too hard tear. Uniform pieces matter more than perfect ones, because they cook together in the same time as the greens.
The doneness test is double. Bite an orecchietta at the rim, the thickest point: it should be firm but cooked through, without a dry white core. Press a stem of broccoli rabe against the side of the pot: it should give easily but not collapse. If the greens are ready before the pasta, lift them out and return them to the pan at the end.
Bitterness and Greens Control
Broccoli rabe is pleasantly bitter, and the whole dish depends on keeping that bitterness in balance. The compounds responsible are partly soluble in water, which is why the Apulian method of boiling the greens in plenty of salted water softens them: some bitterness passes into the water, and the pasta, cooking in it, takes a gentle green flavor without harshness. A small pot with little water leaves the greens too strong.
Color is lost through time and acid. Chlorophyll turns olive brown when vegetables are cooked too long or covered with a lid, which traps the acids that escape with the steam. Cook the greens uncovered in fast-boiling water and take them out when the stems are just tender. Do not leave them waiting in the pan over heat: the color fades within minutes.
The oil completes the balance. Fat rounds bitterness on the palate, and the chili, garlic and capers add warmth and salt that make the green taste sweeter by contrast. The mollica gives the last touch: its toasted flavor and crunch take the place that grated cheese takes in other southern pastas.
Professional Mise en Place
Shaping is the slow part. Make the orecchiette in the morning or the day before, and the final cooking takes less than 15 minutes.
Equipment and tools
Wooden pasta board, bench scraper, round-tipped table knife
Trays dusted with semolina, clean kitchen towels
Large pot of at least 6 quarts (5.7 l), spider, wide sauté pan, 12 inches (30 cm)
Small pan for the mollica, box grater, paper towels
Prepared ahead
Orecchiette shaped and dried for at least 30 minutes, or dried for 24 hours and kept in a cool dry place
Broccoli rabe cleaned, cut and washed, up to 1 day ahead, refrigerated in a damp towel
Mollica fried and cooled, up to 1 day ahead, kept airtight
Capers desalted and chopped, garlic sliced, within 1 hour of service
Service setup
Salted water at a rolling boil, cup for the cooking water beside the stove
Pan of flavored oil ready on the burner
Bowls warmed to about 140°F (60°C)
Mollica in a bowl and finishing oil in a small jug on the pass
Chef Tips
Make extra orecchiette and dry them completely: spread them on trays for 24 to 48 hours in a dry room, turning them once, until they are hard throughout. Dried this way they keep for a month in a paper bag and cook in 12 to 14 minutes.
If broccoli rabe is out of season, use the tops of turnip greens or, in summer, a mix of broccoli florets and a handful of arugula added in the last minute. The flavor will be milder, but the structure of the dish stays the same.
Use the cooking water generously. It is lightly salty, starchy and green, and it is the only liquid the sauce needs. Keep it hot beside the pan and add it a spoonful at a time until the sauce coats the pasta.
For more depth without any animal product, add 4 or 5 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped, to the oil with the garlic. They bring a concentrated, savory sweetness that plays well against the bitterness of the greens.
Common Mistakes
Using all-purpose flour. Soft wheat makes a soft, sticky dough and orecchiette that lose their shape and chew. Use fine durum wheat semolina.
A dough that is too wet. It sticks to the knife and the orecchiette flatten in the pot. Keep the hydration close to 48 percent and adjust after the rest.
Shaping orecchiette of different sizes. Small ones overcook while large ones stay raw. Cut the rope into equal pieces.
Cooking the greens and pasta in too little water. The water turns bitter and the pasta sticks. Use at least 5 quarts (4.7 l).
Overcooking the broccoli rabe. It turns olive brown and mushy. Add the buds with the pasta and stop when the stems are just tender.
Draining everything in a colander. The cooking water is lost and the sauce cannot form. Lift the pasta and greens into the pan and keep the water.
Adding the mollica too early. It absorbs the sauce and turns soggy. Scatter it at the table.
Wine Pairing
Locorotondo DOC: A white from the Itria Valley, in the heart of Puglia, based on Verdeca and Bianco d'Alessano, with notes of green apple, almond and a fresh, light finish. Its delicacy and acidity respect the bitterness of the greens and clean the oil from the palate. Serve it at about 50°F (10°C).
Salice Salentino DOC: A red from the Salento, based on Negroamaro, with dark cherry, Mediterranean herbs and a gently bitter finish. Its warmth and soft tannins meet the chili and garlic, and its own bitter note echoes the broccoli rabe. Serve it slightly cool, at about 60°F (16°C).
Fiano di Avellino DOCG: A structured white from Irpinia, in neighboring Campania, with notes of hazelnut, pear and a smoky mineral edge. Its body stands up to the olive oil, and its nutty aroma meets the toasted mollica. Serve it at about 52°F (11°C).
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC: A deeply colored rosé from Montepulciano grapes, with cherry fruit and firm, refreshing acidity. It has the weight to handle the garlic and capers and the freshness to lift the green, bitter notes of the dish. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: the finished dish keeps for 2 days in an airtight container, though the greens lose some color and the pasta softens. Fresh, undried orecchiette keep for 1 day in the refrigerator on a semolina-dusted tray, covered with a towel. Freezer: raw orecchiette freeze very well; freeze them in one layer on a tray, then transfer them to a bag and cook them from frozen, adding 2 minutes. The finished dish does not freeze well, because the broccoli rabe turns watery on thawing.
Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat with 2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) of water per portion, tossing until steaming, about 4 minutes. In the microwave, add the same water, cover and heat at 70 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, then 1 minute more. Add fresh mollica and a thread of raw olive oil after reheating, never before.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 4 servings:
Calories: 640 kcal
Total Fat: 28 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 720 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 82 g
Fiber: 8 g
Total Sugars: 3 g
Added Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 19 g
Principal micronutrients: vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, vitamin E
These figures are estimates, calculated on the quantities listed and rounded to the nearest whole number, assuming that only part of the cooking water salt is absorbed. They vary with the weight of broccoli rabe left after cleaning and the amount of oil absorbed by the mollica.
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