Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Fennel Sausage and Anchovy Pangrattato

Method

1. Trim the tough ends off the broccoli rabe and peel thick stems. Cut the stems into 1 cm slices and the leaves and buds into 5 cm pieces, keeping them in two separate piles because the stems need longer. Slit the sausage casings and squeeze out the meat.

2. Make the pangrattato: in a 26 cm frying pan, warm a little of the olive oil with half the anchovies over medium-low heat, mashing them until they melt, then add the breadcrumbs and stir for 3 min, until deep golden. Off the heat, finely grate in the lemon zest, mix and tip into a bowl.

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 0.9 tbspAnchovy fillets in oil 1½Dry breadcrumbs (coarse) 30 gLemon (for zest) ½

   medium-low heat

3. Bring 3 L of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat (about 12 min) and add the coarse salt.

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

   high heat

4. Wipe out the frying pan, add another splash of the olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and fennel seeds and cook for 6 min, breaking the meat into small crumbs, until browned and crisp at the edges with no pink left inside (71 °C in the centre).

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 0.9 tbspFresh Italian pork sausage, casings removed 160 gFennel seeds ½ tsp

   medium-high heat

5. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the garlic, the rest of the anchovies and the chili and stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and simmer for 2 min, until the alcohol smell is gone and the wine has almost disappeared; turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves, thinly sliced 2Anchovy fillets in oil 1½Dried chili flakes ½ tspDry white wine 60 ml

   medium heat

6. Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook for 7 min. Add the sliced stems, then 1 minute later the leaves and buds, and cook for 5 min more, until the pasta has a slight bite and a fork slides easily into the stems.

   Add in this stepDried orecchiette 200 gBroccoli rabe (cime di rapa), untrimmed weight 400 g

7. Scoop out a mugful of cooking water, then lift the pasta and greens into the sausage pan. Add the cooking water, pecorino and the last of the olive oil and toss and shake hard over medium-high heat for 2 min, until creamy and glossy; add a splash more water if it looks tight. Serve heaped with the pangrattato.

   Add in this stepPasta cooking water (reserved) 100 mlPecorino Romano, finely grated 20 gExtra virgin olive oil 1¼ tbsp

   medium-high heat