Orecchiette with cime di rapa — pasta with anchovies, garlic and chili

Remove damaged leaves and thick, tough stalks from the cime di rapa. Keep the sound leaves, small flower heads and tender stems that are easy to cut with a knife. Rinse thoroughly to remove soil, drain and weigh out 800 g of the prepared raw edible greens. The stated amount is the weight after cleaning, not the weight of the whole bunches you bought.

Cut the tender stems into pieces about 1 cm long; split thicker but still tender pieces lengthwise. Tear or cut larger leaves into several pieces and leave the small flower heads whole. Keep the stems separate from the leaves and flower heads, as they will go into the pot first. Use all 800 g of the weighed, cleaned greens.

Drain the anchovy fillets in a small strainer for about 2 minutes, then weigh out 40 g; do not add the oil that drains from the package to the dish. Finely chop the peeled garlic. Remove the chili stem, core and seeds, weigh out 5 g of the flesh with its skin and chop finely. Have a wide skillet ready so you can comfortably combine the whole dish in it later.

In a large pot with room for the greens, bring about 4 l of water without salt to a boil. Add 320 g of dried orecchiette, stir and check the cooking time on the package. Plan to add the stems when about 6 minutes remain. While the pasta cooks, prepare the skillet base as described in the next step; the salt in the ingredient list will go into the sauce.

Over low heat, warm 40 g of olive oil with the chopped garlic and chili for about 1–2 minutes, until fragrant, without browning the garlic. Add all the weighed anchovies and 3 g of salt. Stir and mash the fillets with a spatula for another minute, until they break down in the oil. Take the skillet off the heat if the pasta still needs time; keep all the garlic and chili in the dish.

About 6 minutes before the end of the package cooking time, add the cut stems to the pasta. After about 2 minutes, add the leaves and flower heads, in two handfuls if needed, gently pushing them under the water with a spoon. Cook together until the greens soften and the pasta is still slightly firm in the center, roughly a minute before the end of the package cooking time. Reserve a cup of the unsalted cooking water, then drain the pasta and greens without squeezing.

Transfer all the pasta and greens to the skillet with the anchovies. Heat over medium heat for about 1–2 minutes, stirring with spatulas and adding the reserved water 1–2 tablespoons at a time, just enough to form a moist coating of sauce. Some leaves may break down, and the stems should be tender. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 10 g of olive oil and mix thoroughly; do not dry out the pasta by frying it for too long.

Divide the hot pasta among four deep plates, distributing the greens and all the sauce left in the skillet evenly. Serve immediately while the orecchiette are moist and springy. Cool any leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours at the latest; use the next day, reheating thoroughly.