Tag Archives: orecchiette

Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans

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In a word, delicious! A great choice for those nights where you prefer a meatless or pescatarian meal.

A one-pot wonder, this recipe is bold, with a briny puttanesca sauce that finds delicious partners in creamy white beans and flaked tuna (just needed more of it). First the pasta is boiled and drained, then the same pot is used to make the sauce.

Orecchiette pasta is preferred because the small saucer shapes catch bits of the olives, capers and tuna. The consistency is on the “soupy” side; stir in additional pasta water at the end to adjust the consistency to suit your taste.

Two major changes we made included doubling the canned tuna to two 5-ounce cans, and decreasing the pasta by 25%, down to 12 ounces. These differences still provided 4 large portions. Also, don’t discard the olive oil when draining the tuna. Use it as part of, or in place of, the necessary olive oil for the recipe.

NOTES: Don’t forget to rinse and drain the beans. If their starchy liquid makes it into the pot, it will turn the sauce thick and heavy. Don’t worry about removing the garlic cloves after they’re lightly browned. They’ll soften and break apart slightly as the sauce cooks.

Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 12 oz. orecchiette pasta
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup pitted green or black olives (or a combination), roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup drained capers, rinsed and patted dry
  • 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 15½ oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 5 oz. cans olive oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked
  • ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2½ cups of the cooking water, then drain.
  2. In the same pot over medium, combine the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, olives, and capers. Increase to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the capers begin to brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with juices along with the beans, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Stir in 1½ cups of the reserved water and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the orecchiette and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 4 minutes; add more reserved water if needed to thin. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Off heat, stir in the tuna and parsley. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe from Karen Waldman for Milk Street

Orecchiette with White Bolognese

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Luscious and creamy white bolognese sauce (bolognese bianco) is very similar to classic Italian ragu alla bolognese – just without the tomatoes. Slowly simmer ground pork with pancetta, aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, and white wine, then finish with heavy cream and parmesan cheese to create a rich and hearty meat sauce with the best velvety texture. Toss with orecchiette pasta and enjoy the ultimate cozy and comforting dinner.

The ground pork bits nestle into the orecchiette pasta and the light sauce coats everything tying all of the ingredients together.

We used 25% less pasta at 12 ounces instead if a pound. And the package of pancetta weighed only 4 ounces, while the recipe calls for 5 ounces.

Orecchiette with White Bolognese

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 4-oz. pkg. diced pancetta
  • 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 4 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. minced garlic, about 6 cloves
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 lb. uncooked orecchiette pasta
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine

Orecchiette with Broccolini

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There’s been numerous indications, due to the COVID-19 spread and the shutdown of meat processing plants, we’ll likely see meat and poultry shortages in the near future. With foresight, we are starting to compile a reservoir of meatless dishes that could come in handy. For those of you who follow a plant-based diet, you are already ahead of the curve.

Taken from the MilkStreet.com website, it is noted orecchiette with broccoli rabe (orecchiette con cime di rapa) is a signature pasta dish from the Puglia region of southern Italy. The bitterness of rabe is challenging for some palates, so using sweeter, milder broccolini addresses that. 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.

The pasta gets boiled 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. But don’t use fine dried breadcrumbs in place of panko. Their sandy, powdery texture doesn’t offer the light, delicate crispness of panko.

I decided to adjust the ratio of pasta versus the other ingredients by only using 2/3 the amount of orecchiette, 8 ounces instead of 12. Of course this decision necessitated that the amount of water be reduced also, from 5 cups to 3 cups + 2 ounces. (The original recipe amounts are listed below.) As an additional topper, we sprinkled on some grated Pecorino Romano cheese along with those fabulous bread crumbs. In the end, we loved this dish. There was so much flavor with so few ingredients!

Orecchiette with Broccolini

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 Medium garlic cloves, 4 minced, 4 thinly sliced
  • 8 Oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced
  • ¾ Cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1½ Lbs. broccolini, trimmed and cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
  • ½-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 12 Oz. orecchiette pasta
  • 5 1/2 cups water
  • Grated cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the minced garlic and half the anchovies, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
  2. Add the panko and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside; wipe out the pot.
  3. In the same pot over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil until shimmering. Add the broccolini, pepper flakes, sliced garlic, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccolini is crisp-tender and the garlic is golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add ½ cup water and continue to cook, stirring, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the broccolini is fully tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
  5. In the same pot over medium-high, boil 5 cups water. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pasta, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
  6. Stir in the broccolini mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the remaining anchovies. Continue to cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until the liquid has thickened enough to cling lightly to the pasta and broccolini, about 1 minute.
  7. Remove from the heat, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Milk Street