Here is a pasta dish that I made using orecchiette, which means "little ears" in Italian. I feel this is quite an under used pasta and I wanted to do a recipe showcasing this wonderful small quick cooking pasta. This pasta dish has nice smokey ham and tender-crisp broccoli; packed full of flavour and packed full of nutrients. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and you have a light spring dinner ready in minutes.
Serves 2 generously
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp chicken stock
3 anchovy fillets
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
4 thin slices of ham, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced into 1" pieces
1 head broccoli, florets only
1 tbsp vegetable blend seasoning mix
coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup of pasta cooking water (save a bit more just in case)
2 cups orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente
2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (to serve)
1. Preheat a medium sized shallow pot on medium high heat, drizzle the olive oil and add in the chicken stock, anchovies, minced garlic, red onion, and ham. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is a bit translucent.
2. Add in the diced zucchini, orange pepper and broccoli florets. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Make sure to season with the veggie seasoning, salt and pepper.
3. Add in the reserved 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water to deglaze the pan. Quickly add in the cooked orecchiette pasta, and the chopped parsley. Toss it using a wooden spoon. Turn the heat off and serve immediately. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan and enjoy!
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