Puglia 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).

Puglia by the Plate

22 May 2026

Explore the booming Italian region through six of its most iconic foods.

By Eve Thomas

Italians are fiercely loyal to their local cuisine, and Puglians are no exception. As Italy’s southern heel rises in popularity among international travellers, one of the best ways to explore its coasts and countryside is through food. Tours, museums and cooking lessons offer insight into Puglia‘s history, climate and culture.

Cheese

To understand Puglia, you must visit a masseria – the stunning farmhouse complexes built for sustenance and protection in the 16th century, and revived as agritourism destinations. They mix accommodation (from rustic to luxurious) and production of goods like oil, wine, and citrus, often letting guests get involved. At Masseria Cappella’s working dairy farm, you can try your hand at stretching mozzarella and stuffing it with stracciatella (for burrata), or learn how to make and bake taralli crackers – a staple at every good aperitivo.

Pasta

For the best photo ops of Puglia’s famous ear-shaped pasta, head to Strada delle Orecchiette in Bari where nonnas shape it along the street. But for a hands-on experience, book a workshop at Casa Mama in the tiny village of Ginosa. You’ll knead and roll dough (under “Mama’s” watchful eye), then work up an appetite on a tour of the ancient cave village. Return to a feast of simple, local dishes while Pavarotti records play. It doesn’t get more authentic than this.

Bread

Puglia’s perfectly pillowy focaccia has made its mark worldwide, but traditional sourdough “Pane di Laterza” is still unknown to global gourmets. Laterza Bread Experience tours take visitors everywhere from a humming flour mill to historic olive groves that overlook deep canyons and provide wood for antique bread ovens. End the day at a local speakeasy where you’ll snack on bread-based dishes like cialledda salad and tomato-topped frisella.

Wine

Italian wine is hardly a secret, but Puglia’s Primitivo is still unknown to many. The high-alcohol grapes used to get exported to the rest of Europe to fortify other wines, but are today prized for their bold, full-bodied flavour. Head to Manduria’s Museo della Civiltà del Vino Primitivo and you’ll find not just tastings and a shop, but a museum built into the stone wine tanks in the basement, where antique farm tools and domestic objects like pots and looms recreate scenes from the past.

Pastry

The legend behind oval, custard-filled pasticciotto lecessi pastries dates back to the 1700s, when a chef used leftover ingredients to make them – a hit with families that couldn’t afford full-sized cakes. Today, you can find them throughout Puglia, but for the most authentic taste, try their hometown of Galatina. The best can be found in cafés around the Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, a stunning mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Norman and Byzantine architecture.

Coffee

In the seaside town of Polignano a Mare, find tourists and locals brushing elbows at the café Super Mago del Gelo Mario Campanella. Skip the cappuccino and try their famed “caffè speciale,” which mixes espresso with amaretto, cream, and a generous slice of lemon peel. There’s also a dizzying menu of iced desserts, including a sundae tribute to “Volare” singer Domenico Modugno, who was born a few blocks away.

Tag: Puglia