Orecchiette con Rape e Cavolfiore

Name: Orecchiette con Rape e Cavolfiore
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 small head white or green cauliflower; 2 tablespoons fine sea salt; 1 pound cima di rape or dandelion greens, beet greens, or red chard; 2 ounces anchovies, preserved under salt; 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon fennel seeds; 1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes; 3 fat cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and finely minced; 3 ounces dried black olives, stones removed (optional); 12 ounces orecchiette; Coarse sea salt for the pasta water; 1 cup just-grated pecorino; 1 cup just-made fine bread crumbs, sautéed in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

January 24, 2012

Orecchiette—little ears—are a pasta made from grano duro, or semolina, and served often with a rough sauce of cima di rape, the bitter leaves of a variety of Italian turnip not always available in America. Do not mistake them for young broccoli, as some do. Should the real thing not be at hand, it is a better business to substitute dandelion or beet or turnip greens or red chard or even to make the sauce only with cauliflower, especially the grassy-green, purply-edged Roman variety.

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