Rapini Anchovy Pasta
Rapini and anchovies go together like peanut butter and jelly. It truly is a match made in heaven. I always find myself coming back to this pasta when I am in a rut and I need sustenance fast.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ bunches rapini/broccoli rabe
- 30 g garlic, sliced, 8 large
- 56 g anchovies, canned, rinsed
- 225 g orecchiette
- olive oil
- 50 g panko bread crumbs
- chili flake
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 50 g parmesan, grated, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Remove stems and cut the rest of the bundles of rapini into 2-3" (5-6cm) pieces. Wash. Rinse anchovies and chop.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a handful of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package instructions. When the pasta has 1 minute left to cook, add in chopped rapini in with the pasta.
- Reserve 250mL/1cup water, then drain the pasta/rapini and set aside. Return pasta pot to medium heat and add about 25g/2tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot add 50g panko and fry, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until golden brown. Transfer breadcrumbs to a paper towel to drain.
- Add another long squeeze (25g/2tbsp) of olive oil followed by sliced garlic. Fry over medium heat for about a minute then add a pinch of chili flake and chopped anchovies. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add reserved pasta water, drained pasta and rapini followed by 50g of butter and reduce the heat to low. Stir, toss, and shake pan to create an emulsion, resulting in a creamy-silky sauce. Remove from heat and add grated parmesan.
- Serve and top with a generous amount of toasted breadcrumbs, a pinch of parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.
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