Orecchiette with Pancetta and Broccoli 

Orecchiette with broccoli and pancetta is an easy and appetizing recipe that will bring good mood to the table. I chose fresh orecchiette bought at the supermarket and if I have to be honest they did not disappoint me at all from the point of view of quality. Once boiled following the cooking times indicated in the package, you will simply have to mix them with broccoli and tasty cubes of pancetta, also called bacon, browned in a pan to achieve the right crunchiness. 

In addition to a simple and quick first course to prepare, orecchiette with broccoli and pancetta are very fragrant and tasty and, if you use fresh pasta like me, you will create a sort of unique and irresistible creaminess. In order not to lose all the properties of broccoli it is preferable to steam them, before transferring them to the pan and proceed with the recipe.

In short, if you want to prepare an ideal first course for the autumn and winter season, this recipe is ideal: able to convince everyone, it will be genuine and delicious at the same time and you will really make a great impression. Orecchiette with broccoli and  pancetta is a very tasty first course typical of the south, in particular from Puglia!

Ingredients

350 g pasta (fresh orecchiette)

500 g broccoli

200 g pancetta

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons pecorino cheese (grated)

salt and pepper to taste

1 red onion (small)

Preparation

Clean the broccoli, reduce them to florets and wash them in running water then boil them for 8-10 minutes in plenty of boiling salted water. (do not throw the water will be used for cooking pasta). Halfway through cooking the broccoli, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and possibly non-stick. Add the peeled red onion sliced fine. Let the onion dry over low heat. Add the diced pancetta, leaving it to brown but not dry. Add the broccoli taking them from the pot with a slotted spoon without draining them, add a few tablespoons of broccoli cooking water in the pan then crush the latter with a wooden fork. Bring the broccoli cooking water to a boil and dip the orecchiette leaving them to cook for the time indicated on the package or to taste. When cooked, drain the pasta and pour it into the pan into the sauce, ground the pepper, add the pecorino cheese then sauté everything to season perfectly.

Serve the broccoli and pancetta pasta hot and enjoy your meal.

Recommendation

Alternatively you can prepare orecchiette with broccoli and sausage, another very tasty and easy to make recipe. Those who prefer can also add cream cheese to the ingredients, to better bind the ingredients and give greater density to the dish.

Preservation

You can keep the orecchiette with broccoli and pancetta in the fridge for 1 day inside a container with an airtight seal.