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Italy, Europe · Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa

Crispy Sheet-Pan Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Burrata and Lemon

The viral crispy-pasta trick, Puglia style: boiled orecchiette and raw broccoli rabe roasted until crunchy, then crowned with torn creamy burrata and lemon.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time38 min
DifficultyEasy

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 230 °C for , and line baking trays with baking paper.

    oven

  2. Bring 3 L of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat (about ) and add the coarse salt. Meanwhile, trim the tough ends off the broccoli rabe, cut it into 5 cm pieces, rinse it and pat it really dry with a kitchen towel; wet greens steam instead of crisping.

    Add in this stepCoarse salt (for the pasta water) 30 g

    high heat

  3. Cook the orecchiette for (2 minutes less than the package says). Drain well, then spread them on a large plate for 3 minutes to let the steam escape and the surface dry.

    Add in this stepDried orecchiette 200 g

  4. In a large bowl, toss the pasta and broccoli rabe with most of the olive oil, the garlic, chili and half the parmesan. Spread everything in a single, uncrowded layer over 1 tray(s); piled-up pasta stays soft.

    Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 2.4 tbspGarlic cloves, thinly sliced 2Dried chili flakes ½ tspParmigiano Reggiano, finely grated 15 gBroccoli rabe (cime di rapa), untrimmed weight 300 g

  5. Roast in the oven for , stirring once halfway (if you use 2 trays, swap their shelves too). Scatter over the rest of the parmesan and roast more, until the pasta edges are golden and crunchy and the leaves shatter like chips.

    Add in this stepParmigiano Reggiano, finely grated 15 g

    oven

  6. Pile onto plates while hot and tear the burrata over the top. Finely grate over the lemon zest, add a squeeze of juice, the last of the olive oil and the flaky salt, and serve straight away.

    Add in this stepBurrata (125 g balls) 1Lemon ½Extra virgin olive oil 0.6 tbspFlaky sea salt 1 pinch

Cook's tip

Fresh mozzarella or ricotta also work instead of burrata. Ovens vary, so watch the last few minutes closely. If your oven runs hot and the garlic darkens too much, add it with the second batch of parmesan instead.

Cooking it at camp

Without an oven, use a wide cast-iron pan or griddle: plenty of oil, the boiled pasta and greens in one layer, and medium heat without stirring until the bottom is crisp. Keep the burrata cold in the cooler and add it at the end.