As you may know, orecchiette is Italian for "little ears." Their size and rounded shape are just right for holding chunky toppings—pancetta, pine nuts, and broccoli fit that bill nicely. Grating Parmigiano-Reggiano over the entire dish is always a good idea.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 min
Yield
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.
Step 2
While pasta cooks, heat butter and oil with garlic in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until pale golden. Discard garlic and stir in pancetta and scallions, then cook 1 minute. Stir in broccoli and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, 4 minutes.
Step 3
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and stir into broccoli mixture. Add some of reserved water to moisten if needed.
