Orecchiette with broccoli cream and crispy Italian guanciale 

Pasta with broccoli and guanciale is a tasty and colorful first course, to be enjoyed on these winter days when broccoli is at the height of its seasonality and we can afford a few extra calories. Pasta with broccoli and guanciale is a simple dish but it gives great satisfaction; Personally, I really love pasta with broccoli, which I usually prepare in this lighter version, with a sauté of garlic, chili pepper and anchovies; But the other day I had some wonderful leftover guanciale from Amatriciana and I thought I'd use it to create a sort of gricia with broccoli. The result was a success: pasta with broccoli and crispy bacon is a hearty and tasty first course, which however is not excessively fatty on the palate and can be eaten with pleasure.

Ingredients

360 g of short pasta 

500 g green broccoli 

150 g of bacon

40 g of grated pecorino romano cheese

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Pepper to taste

Pasta cooking water to taste

Preparation

To prepare the pasta with broccoli and guanciale, start by cleaning the broccoli: Remove the leaves and also the lower part of the stem. Cut off the top of the stem and remove the outer bark, leaving only the white, tender and tasty part. Cut it into cubes. Gently separate the buds, cutting the larger stems in half lengthwise so that they cook faster. Place the buds in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water. Cut the guanciale into slices about 3 mm thick, then remove the rind and cut it into strips. In the same pot where you will cook the pasta, boil the broccoli in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan, then lower the guanciale. Sauté it over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the fat has become transparent and the lean part is golden and crispy. If the guanciale was very greasy, remove some of the fat released into the pan. When the broccoli is tender, drain it with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the pan. Cook the pasta in the same pot. Cook the broccoli over medium heat for about 5 minutes, crushing them with a spoon to form a cream; Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, then stir it for a minute or two with a little cooking water and a handful of pecorino cheese. Serve the pasta with broccoli and crispy bacon immediately, sprinkled with a tablespoon of grated pecorino cheese.