Orecchiette with Turnip Tops (Cime di Rapa alla Pugliese)

La storia di questo piatto

In Puglia the bitter is not a flaw to be hidden but a guest of honour: turnip tops, anchovy and a whisper of chili sit beside small hand-shaped ears of durum wheat, in the grammar of cucina povera. Here the humblest greens become a celebration, shaped by hands that seem to knead the wind itself.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Durum wheat semolina (rimacinata)
• 190 ml Lukewarm water (adjust according to the absorption of the semolina)
• 800 g Turnip tops (cleaned: leaves, florets and tender stems)
• 6 fillets Salted anchovies (desalted and rinsed) or anchovies in oil
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece (or to taste) Dried chili pepper
• 80 ml Apulian extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons of which to toast the breadcrumbs)
• 30 g Coarse sea salt (for about 4 liters of cooking water)
• 30 g Stale bread, coarsely grated (optional, for crispy breadcrumbs)

Preparazione

1. Pour the semolina in a mound onto a wooden board and gradually add the lukewarm water into the center, adjusting it according to the flour's absorption. Knead for at least 10 minutes, until you obtain a smooth, firm and elastic dough; if it cracks at the edges, add water one tablespoon at a time. Shape it into a ball, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, so the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes soft.
2. Cut the dough into pieces and roll out thick ropes about the thickness of a finger, then divide them into small pieces. Press and drag each piece with the rounded blade of a knife until you obtain a disc with one rough side; flip it onto your thumb to form the cup, hollowed in the center and rough on the outside. The rough surface holds the sauce and should not be smoothed. Arrange the orecchiette well spaced apart on a cloth dusted with semolina.
3. If you want crispy breadcrumbs, toast them now: heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small pan, add the grated bread and toast over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until golden and crisp. Set aside. Meanwhile, bring about 4 liters of water to a boil in a wide pot, then salt it with 30 g of coarse salt: the water must be well seasoned (if the anchovies are very salty, reduce the salt a little).
4. When the water is boiling vigorously, add the turnip top stems first and let them cook alone for 2–3 minutes. Then add the leaves and florets together with the fresh orecchiette: they will cook together in the same water. Fresh orecchiette cook in 5–7 minutes, depending on thickness: taste them often.
5. At the start of the last 5 minutes of cooking the pasta, heat the remaining 4–5 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat with the whole crushed garlic and the crumbled chili: they should only become fragrant, never burnt, otherwise the oil turns unpleasantly bitter. If the garlic darkens too quickly, lower the flame and remove it as soon as it is golden. Add the anchovies (salted ones must be desalted and rinsed) and melt them with the back of a wooden spoon until they dissolve into a golden cream, which is the flavor base of the dish.
6. When the orecchiette are al dente, with a still slightly firm core, drain them with a slotted spoon together with the turnip tops directly into the pan with the soffritto, reserving a ladle of cooking water. Toss over high heat, mixing well: the turnip tops break down slightly and form a natural cream that binds with the oil and cooking water. When the liquid clings to the spoon, the sauce is ready.
7. Plate the hot orecchiette, sprinkle with the reserved crispy breadcrumbs (the 'muddica atterrata', the 'poor man's cheese', which adds crunch to an otherwise soft dish) and finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil. Taste, adjust the salt if needed and, if you like, add a pinch of chili. Serve immediately, very hot.