Orecchiette with Broccoli & Anchovies

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Orecchiette Broccoli Anchovies Chilli - in brown Glenn Tebble bowl with green serviette and silver fork and spoon

This classic dish of orecchiette with broccoli and anchovies hails from Puglia and is also popular in neighbouring Basilicata. It highlights one of the many reasons to love pasta – it’s literally on the table in less time than it takes for a pizza delivery to arrive! Orecchiette with broccoli and anchovies may look simple, even a little odd, but it’s so delicious that everyone will be asking for seconds. This recipe is an exception to the ‘don’t overcook vegetables’ rule, the idea is that the broccoli breaks up completely to form the sauce. This dish is best made with dried pasta as it takes longer to cook than fresh pasta, giving the broccoli time to break down – but you can learn how to make fresh orecchiette here for another dish. Any leftovers make a fabulous frittata the next day too. This dish is traditionally made with cime di rapa (also called turnip tops, rapini or broccoli rabe) which I use when it’s in season, otherwise get broccoli with as many leaves attached as you can or use broccolini. Many southern Italian pasta dishes are topped with toasted breadcrumbs rather than expensive parmesan cheese from northern Italy – they add a fabulous crunch. For a vegetarian/vegan version, simply omit the anchovies. Orecchiette with broccoli and anchovies has a good hit of chilli too (use more or less dried chilli flakes to suit your taste). It can easily stand up to a light Italian-style red – I love it with a glass of Lark Hill Sangiovese (especially in summer, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving). See the video below for everything you need to know to cook pasta perfectly every time.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 600g broccoli (about 1 large head/1lb 5oz)
  • 500g orecchiette pasta (1lb)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (125ml)
  • 6 anchovy fillets in oil (see note below)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes, or to taste

Toasted Breadcrumbs

Method
  1. Make Toasted Breadcrumbs: Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat, add breadcrumbs and stir for 3–5 minutes, until crisp and lightly coloured. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Cut broccoli into small florets, discarding thick stalks.
  3. Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil, using 10g salt/litre water (⅓oz salt/2 pints water). Add pasta and broccoli and cook until pasta is al dente.
  4. Meanwhile, place oil, anchovies, garlic and chilli flakes in a large frying pan over a low heat. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often to break up the anchovies, until garlic starts to colour.
  5. Remove pan from the heat, stir for 30 seconds or so to cool it down a little then set aside.
  6. When pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving the cooking water.
  7. Return the frying pan to medium–high heat, tip the pasta and broccoli into it and stir well to combine with the oil mixture.
  8. Add ½ cup (125ml) of the cooking water and continue stirring, crushing any large pieces of stem; add a little more cooking water if necessary to create a creamy sauce.
  9. Spoon into shallow bowls, sprinkle with Toasted Breadcrumbs and serve immediately.
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What Other Travellers Say

Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – a wonderful bespoke small group tour, starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. This tour included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours so far and each one has been an amazing well-organised experience. From historic Rome and Pompeii to the spectacular Amalfi Coast, remarkable Venice and the charming villages of Switzerland, each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local. I highly recommend Roberta’s tours to anyone who wants to discover inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Michael (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Starting in Rome then spending time on the Amalfi Coast and further south before heading back to Rome for the last couple of days made for a nice ‘round trip’. Roberta’s choice of eateries was excellent with some very enjoyable meals – and a nice mix of other activities, like vineyard visits, between meals. Everything was very well organised: transport, nice hotels in close proximity to most activities, and a relaxed pace with enough time to follow your nose if that took your fancy. A very worthwhile tour and I’m already looking forward to another!
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
I absolutely recommend Roberta’s Southern Italy tour! We’ve always been independent travellers so were a little apprehensive – by day 2 we knew we’d made a great decision! Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail so we visited wineries where we were always invited for lunch as well as wine-tasting, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast and a 3rd generation cheesemaker. We stayed in a stunning cave hotel in Matera and a gorgeous family hotel in Scala – and book-ended the tour with the vibrancy of Rome. So many highlights, such a brilliant experience. We will do another tour with Roberta.
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