Orecchiette With Broccoli Chickpeas Onions And Tomatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Put the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and then drop in the broccoli and cook until tender but not too soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water to set the color. Drain and set aside. If using broccoli rabe, chop coarsely. Then drop the orecchiette into the same boiling salted water.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, if using, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, if using, and chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, if using, and broccoli and cook until hot. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Drain the pasta when it is al dente and add it to the broccoli sauce, along with the toasted bread crumbs, if using. Warm through. Transfer to a warmed bowl and sprinkle with pecorino, if desired.
• Toasted Bread Crumbs: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor, pulse 2 cups diced country-style bread, crusts removed, until you have coarse crumbs. Toss the crumbs in a bowl with 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil; 1 teaspoon salt; and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. The crumbs can be stored in the pantry in a covered container for up to a month.

Steps:

• Cook the orecchiette in boiling water until tender but firm; drain.
• Blanch the broccoli for about 2 or 3 minutes in boiling water until almost tender, then rinse in ice water to halt cooking.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan and saute the onion until it is soft. Add the chickpeas and garlic and warm.
• Add the tomatoes and broccoli and heat. Stir in the drained pasta; season with salt, if desired, and pepper and serve, sprinkled with cheese, if desired.

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Soak chickpeas in water to cover by 2 inches overnight (8 hours) or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below), then drain.
• Simmer chickpeas with whole garlic cloves and bay leaf in water to cover by 2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart pot, partially covered with lid, adding more water if necessary, until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Drain chickpeas and discard garlic and bay leaf.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion, celery, carrots, chopped garlic, red-pepper flakes (to taste), and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and sea salt to taste.
• Make orecchiette:
• Stir together water and sea salt in a bowl until salt has dissolved. Add semolina in a stream, beating with an electric mixer at medium speed until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with lightly floured hands (use all-purpose flour) until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Divide dough into 5 pieces and let stand under an overturned bowl 30 minutes.
• Line each of 2 trays (or a work surface) with a dry kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust with some semolina. Keeping remaining dough covered, roll 1 piece of dough into a 14-inch-long rope (about 3/4 inch thick) on an unfloured surface. Cut rope into 1/4-inch pieces. Dust your thumb with some flour and press down on each piece of dough, pushing away from you and twisting your thumb slightly to form an indented curled shape (like an ear). Transfer as formed to lined trays. Make more orecchiette with remaining dough. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes.
• Cook orecchiette:
• Cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente, then drain and toss with sauce.

Steps:

• To make the toasted bread crumbs, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor, pulse the bread cubes until you have coarse crumbs.
• Toss the crumbs in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes.
• Store in a covered container for up to 1 month.
• To make the pasta, put the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add the salt and then drop in the broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water to set the colour.
• Drain and set aside.
• Drop the orecchiette into the same boiling, salted water and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and broccoli rabe and cook until hot.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Drain the pasta when it is ready and it to the sauce, along with toasted bread crumbs, and warm through.
• Transfer to a warmed bowl and sprinkle with romano cheese.

Steps:

• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set pasta aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; saute until golden, stirring to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Add broccoli and reserved cooking liquid; cook, stirring, until broccoli is tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, and season with pepper. Remove from heat.
• Add reserved pasta to pan, and toss well to coat. Transfer to four serving bowls; drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and garnish each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons grated pecorino cheese.