Pasta Archives - Culinary Travels

Recipe: Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa (Rapini)

22 May 2026

Puglia’s most iconic pasta is a balance of bitter greens, rich olive oil and savoury anchovy.

Recipe provided by the Visit Puglia tourism board.

Ingredients

500 g Puglian orecchiette (dried or fresh)
1 kg broccoli rabe (rapini)
2 cloves garlic
3 anchovy fillets in olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 tbsp. Puglian extra virgin olive oil, plus more for dressing
Breadcrumbs
Pecorino cheese (optional: traditional recipes typically omit cheese, but it can be added to taste)

Directions
Clean the broccoli rabe by removing tough leaves and stems. Wash thoroughly in cold water, drain well, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of freshly ground pepper, sautéing for 2-3 minutes without letting the garlic burn. Add the anchovy fillets and allow them to melt into the oil. Remove the garlic and set the skillet aside. In a separate pan, toast the breadcrumbs in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until golden and crisp. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. For dried orecchiette, cook the pasta for 5 minutes, then add the broccoli rabe and continue cooking until al dente. For fresh orecchiette, cook the pasta and broccoli rabe together for 6-7 minutes total. Do not overcook.

Drain the pasta and greens, then toss immediately with the anchovy oil. Sauté briefly to combine, drizzle with additional olive oil if desired, and finish with a generous sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs (and pecorino, if desired).

Crispy Parmigiano Reggiano and Sage Ravioli

20 January 2026

Crunchy on the outside, soft within – this is ravioli made for cheese lovers.

These ravioli hit all the right notes – crunchy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and deeply savoury thanks to plenty of aged cheese and fragrant herbs. Think of them as ravioli crossed with your favourite bar snack: indulgent, nostalgic, and dangerously easy to keep popping until the plate is empty.

Prep time: 75 min.

Cook time: 10 min.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

250 g fresh ravioli (preferably butternut squash or ricotta cheese)
100 g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. chopped sage
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
100 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano (plus extra to serve)
Pepper
2 eggs
100 ml milk
Vegetable oil, for frying
Handful sage leaves

Spread the ravioli on a baking sheet and freeze for 25-30 minutes until hard. In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, sage, rosemary, 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano and a pinch of black pepper.

Use another bowl to whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Remove the ravioli from the freezer and dip in the egg mixture before coating in the Parmigiano Reggiano breadcrumbs. Arrange on a baking sheet and return to the freezer for a further 25-30 minutes to harden. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan until hot and fry the ravioli in batches for 3-5 minutes until golden. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes until crispy and drain on kitchen paper. Serve the ravioli hot with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and deep-fried sage leaves.