This classic pasta dish pairs the bright and bitter flavor of broccoli rabe with rich and deliciously fatty pork. I created this version to utilize leftover pork from my Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder recipe. If you don’t have the leftover pork shoulder, you can easily use pork sausage or chopped-up leftover pork chops or pork loin. It is a versatile dish that works great with any protein and is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. If you like it on the milder side, you can omit the Thai bird chile and only use the crushed red pepper flakes. Orecchiette is the perfect pasta for this dish because you can easily get a bit of every ingredient in one bite.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 8 ounces orecchiette pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Thai bird chile
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 anchovies, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups leftover shredded roasted pork shoulder or crumbled and cooked Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and cook until bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the water for the pasta. Transfer the broccoli rabe with tongs or a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and dry on a kitchen towel, then chop into 1-inch pieces.
- Return the water to a boil and cook the orecchiette according to the package directions.
- When the pasta has about 5 minutes left, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, Thai chile, red pepper flakes, anchovies and parsley. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and stir to coat.
- Add the pork and cook an additional minute to warm through. Stir about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water directly into the skillet. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, add the wine and pasta to the skillet along with more olive oil to moisten, if necessary. Cook until the pasta absorbs the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan. Adjust the seasonings as necessary and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.
- Serve with extra grated Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 786 |
| Total Fat | 51 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 96 mg |
| Sodium | 1117 mg |
Reviews
Have made this several times now – using the leftover pork from the other recipe on this episode. Such a flavorful and hearty dish.
I watched him make this on The Kitchen, I’ve made it using left over pulled pork the first time and left over BBQ rib meat the second. Both times it was excellent. I omitted the Thai Chilli and it was still great. I can see using Chorizo also.
Used kale or spinach. I love GZ recipes but the broccoli rabe in this dish over powers
Excellent! Used the left over pork roast from his roasted pork roast recipe.