Cime Di Rapa Orecchiette is a classic dish from Puglia, full of rustic charm and bold, punchy flavours. A lovely green and fresh dish, it’s perfect for spring, when Cime Di Rapa is at its seasonal best. The slight bitterness of the greens pairs beautifully with savoury sausage, a gentle heat from chilli. Finished with a crisp, lemony pangrattato, it’s a dish that celebrates simple ingredients and traditional techniques - vibrant, comforting, and full of southern Italian character.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dough:
400g fine semolina
200ml warm water
Good pinch of fine salt
For the sauce:
Extra virgin olive oil
3 salsiccia sausages (removed from casing)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
6 anchovies (optional)
Chilli flakes
100ml white wine
1 lemon
1 bunch Cime Di Rapa (or purple sprouting broccoli)
Pecorino cheese
For the pangrattato:
Panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil
Lemon zest
Grated Pecorino
Method
Place the semolina and salt onto a board and create a well in the centre. Gradually pour in the warm water, using a fork to bring the mixture together before kneading by hand for up to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly flour, wrap in cling film and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once rested, roll the dough into a long rope and cut into small 1cm pieces. Roll each into a ball, then hold a knife at a slight angle, press into the dough and drag it firmly across the board so it curls. Turn each piece inside out over your thumb to create the classic “little ear” shape. They don’t need to be identical — just keep them similar in size so they cook evenly.
Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Blanch the cime di rapa (or broccoli) for 1–2 minutes, refresh in cold water and set aside. In a large frying pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil and crumble in the sausage meat, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Cook until almost browned, then add the garlic, chilli flakes and anchovies (if using) and cook briefly until fragrant. Deglaze with the white wine and allow it to simmer gently.
Cook the orecchiette in the boiling water for 3–5 minutes until al dente, then transfer directly to the sausage pan with a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Add the blanched greens and toss everything together, finishing with a squeeze of lemon for freshness.
For the pangrattato, heat olive oil in a separate pan and fry the panko breadcrumbs with lemon zest and grated Pecorino until golden and crisp. Scatter over the pasta just before serving.
Watch Ruby make this dish here