Recipe Overview
Orecchiette with rapini and sausage is a southern Italian combination of handmade semolina pasta, pleasantly bitter greens, and savory pork. This version preserves the rustic identity of the dish while finishing it with a warm Pecorino foam, adding a lighter modern texture without losing the character of the pasta, rapini, garlic, olive oil, and sausage.
Chef Notes
Keep the semolina dough firm so the orecchiette hold their characteristic concave shape. Do not overcook the rapini; its bitterness belongs in the flavor balance. Keep the Pecorino foam light and warm so it finishes the plate rather than covering the pasta.
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Ingredients
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Fine Semolina Flour (Semola Rimacinata)
— 1360 g, fine semolina flour
semola_rimacinata
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Warm Water
— as needed to form the dough
WATER-POTABLE-001
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Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)
— 2 bunches, cleaned and chopped
rapini
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Italian Sausage
— 450 g, bulk or casings removed
italian_sausage
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Garlic
— 2 cloves, sliced
TC-VEG-GARLIC-001
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil
— 120 ml, divided
OIL-0001
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Sea Salt
— to taste
SPICE-SALT-0001
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Black Pepper
— to taste, freshly ground
SPICE-PEPPERCORN-BLACK
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Dry White Wine
— 240 ml, dry
white_wine
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Whole Milk
— 240 ml
TC-DAIRY-MILK
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Pecorino Romano
— 200 g, grated
DAIRY-CHEESE-PECORINO-ROMANO-001
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Xanthan Gum
— 1 tbsp
TC-HYDROCOLLOID-XANTHAN-GUM-001
Preparation
- Make the orecchiette dough by placing the semolina flour on a work surface, forming a well, and gradually adding warm water until a firm but elastic dough comes together. Knead until smooth, cover, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape the orecchiette by rolling portions of dough into ropes, cutting small pieces, dragging each piece with a knife, and turning it over your thumb to form the classic small concave ears. Dust lightly with semolina.
- Blanch the rapini in salted boiling water until just tender. Transfer to ice water, drain well, squeeze out excess moisture, and chop coarsely.
- For the sausage and rapini, heat some olive oil in a wide skillet with the sliced garlic until fragrant. Add the sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Add the rapini, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm over low heat.
- For the Pecorino foam, simmer the white wine briefly to reduce the alcohol. Add the milk and heat gently to just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Pecorino Romano until smooth. Add the xanthan gum and blend until lightly thickened and homogeneous. Strain if desired, chill, transfer to a siphon, charge with two cartridges, and keep warm in a water bath before serving.
- Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water and drain.
- Add the cooked orecchiette to the skillet with the sausage and rapini. Toss over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of pasta water until the pasta is nicely coated.
- Plate in warm bowls and finish with the warm Pecorino foam over the top or around the edges. Add freshly ground black pepper and extra Pecorino if desired. Serve immediately.
Service Suggestions
- Serve in warm bowls so the sausage, rapini and freshly cooked orecchiette remain hot through final service.
- Keep the Pecorino foam light and warm; use it as a finishing element rather than allowing it to dominate the pasta.
- Finish with freshly ground black pepper and additional Pecorino only as needed so the bitterness of the rapini remains part of the dish.
Dietary / HACCP Notes
- Contains pork, wheat/gluten and milk. Confirm allergen communication before service.
- Keep raw sausage refrigerated, prevent cross-contamination, and cook it according to the operation's approved food-safety procedure.
- Milk and Pecorino used for the foam require controlled refrigeration and approved warm-holding practices. Follow the siphon manufacturer's operating instructions.
| Calories | 620 |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| Fat | 30 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 580 mg |