Recipe by Executive Chef Walter Pisano, Tulio Ristorante, Seattle
SERVES 4
1 lb Orecchiette pasta
2 cups Ground pork sausage
1 ½ cups Rapini (Italian broccoli} washed & cut into ½ pieces
3 Whole, fresh garlic cloves
1/8 tsp Crushed red chili flake
14 oz. Imported Italian tomatoes “San Marzano”
5 Tbsp Virgin olive oil
½ cup Parmesan Reggiano grated
BASE TOMATO SAUCE
Pass whole tomatoes through a food mill.* Set aside. In a heavy bottom saucepot, begin to heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil slowly. Add the garlic cloves to hot oil and toast until garlic is golden brown. Add the passed tomatoes (be careful not to splatter yourself). Turn the sauce down to a simmer & cook for 40 minutes.
REMAINING SAUCE PROCEDURE
Press ground sausage into a thin patty. In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown the sausage and chili flake. When the sausage is half cooked, add the broccoli and sauté till tender (approximately 3 minutes). Add the tomato sauce cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the sauce and set aside.
PASTA COOKING PROCEDURE
Start a heavy bottom saucepot with 6 quarts salted water. Drop the pasta into the water. Blanch the pasta until al dente (approximately 12-14 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking. When the pasta is cooked, drain using a colander (don’t rinse the pasta) drain well and add to the sauce. Toss well and serve with grated Parmesan Reggiano.
* If you don’t have a food mill, remove as many seeds as possible and run tomatoes in Cuisinart to a pulp/puree.
