Sometimes when you have a plate of pasta this beautiful, the “eye-candy factor” is all it has going for it. It’s just a combination of pretty ingredients with the express purpose of creating a photogenic dish and the result tastes like nothing more than a hodge-podge of contradicting flavors (and not in the good way). This Orecchiette with Pancetta, Pumpkin and Broccoli Rabe by Anne Burrell is sheer perfection, both aesthetically and in palatability. Burnt orange and forest green, this dish screams “fall” and tastes as much too. For as much flavor as this pasta packs, the ingredients list is pretty short and you’ll only spend about $12 on this meal. Grab a little gourd and get into the spirit of autumn with this seasonal delight.
Tips (unsponsored): If you’re not a big fan of pumpkin, butternut squash would be every bit as delicious. Anne calls for a “cheese pumpkin,” which variety we didn’t find on our normal grocery store route. Use a sugar or pie pumpkin instead. We find our broccoli rabe (or rapini) at Trader Joe’s. You can pick up your pancetta, toasted green pumpkin seeds (or “pepitas”) and orecchiette there as well.
This dish is so well-rounded: sweetness from the pumpkin, saltiness from the parmesan, fruitiness from the olive oil, smokiness from the pancetta, spiciness from the red pepper flakes, and crunchiness from the pumpkin seeds.
Let your kids sprinkle the final dishes with pumpkin seeds and parmesan. As you prepare and enjoy this pasta with those you love, teach them a few things about the ingredients:
- Broccolini has lots of potassium, which helps keep your nervous system healthy.
- Pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) have lots of the healthy fatty acids that helps to lower the bad cholesterol in your blood and raise the good.
- Pumpkin helps keep your cells healthy, which helps you age well.
Since we associate pasta with Italy (and rightly so), let’s learn a few things about this country and it’s people:
- Vatican City is actually considered a country, and is the smallest in the world.
- TONS of people visit Italy each year, making it the 4th most-visited country in the world.
- The very first battery was invented by an Italian by the name of Volta in the 1800’s.
From: Orecchiette with Pancetta, Pumpkin and Broccoli Rabe
- 2 cups diced peeled cheese pumpkin or butternut squash (about 8 ounces)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ½ bunch broccoli rabe, tough lower stems removed, cut into thirds
- ¾ cup pancetta, cut into ½-inch dice
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 cups orecchiette
- ½ cup grated parmigiana, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup green pumpkin seeds, toasted
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the pumpkin with olive oil and salt and place in a single layer on a sheet tray. Bake in the oven until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Drop the broccoli rabe into the pot of boiling water, swirl it around, remove it from the water and immediately plunge into the salty ice water. Reserve the boiling water. Remove the broccoli rabe from the ice water, squeeze out the excess water and reserve.
- Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and add the pancetta and red pepper flakes. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the pancetta until brown and crispy. Add the roasted pumpkin and about ¾ cup of the broccoli rabe cooking water. Simmer until the water reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the orecchiette to the reserved boiling broccoli rabe water and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the cooking time says on the box. Remove the pasta from the water and add to the pan with the pancetta and pumpkin. Add the broccoli rabe and about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Cook until the water has evaporated and the sauce clings to the pasta, about 1 minute. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the grated parmigiana. Toss vigorously.
- Divide the pasta among dishes, sprinkle with a little more grated parm and top with the roasted green pumpkin seeds.
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