This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

ADVERTISEMENT

This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Orecchiette with Broccolini

4 Servings

40 minutes

Made This Recipe? Write a Review.
Thank you for submitting your review! A member of our team is confirming the review meets our site's Community Guidelines. It will be posted on the site shortly.

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe (orecchiette con cime di rapa) is a signature pasta dish from the Puglia region of southern Italy. We were taught how to make it by Nunzia da Scalo, a cook in Bari, Italy. The bitterness of rabe is challenging for some palates, so we use sweeter, milder Broccolini. However, if you like the assertiveness of rabe, it can easily be used in place of the Broccolini, though rabe will cook a little more quickly. We boil the pasta in a minimal amount of water, then the starchy liquid that remains becomes the base for the sauce that marries the orecchiette and Broccolini. A finishing sprinkle of toasted seasoned breadcrumbs adds a crisp texture.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t use fine dried breadcrumbs instead of panko breadcrumbs. Their sandy, powdery texture doesn’t offer the light, delicate crispness of panko.

40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 8

    medium garlic cloves, 4 minced, 4 thinly sliced

Directions

Reviews
IRENE K.
August 28, 2026
Ms.
Great recipe. But sadly it is not in the search engine. When website was updated many recipes are not searchable anymore. I had to Google it and then find it.
Christine E.
June 24, 2024
Yum
I make this on a regular basis, it’s delicious. Sometimes, if it’s not too hot out and I’m looking to speed up the process, I’ll just blast the broccolini in the oven.
Jennifer B.

Delicious! Didn't miss the dairy at all. I skipped the anchovies, sorry.


ADVERTISEMENT