Jamie Oliver’s Corteccia Pasta with Hot Smashed Broccoli, Pecorino, Garlic & Anchovy Pesto
Learn to make your own corteccia pasta with a hot pesto sauce with Jamie Oliver's easy to follow instructions in this recipe as seen on his Channel 4 series, Jamie Cooks Italy.
From the book
Jamie Cooks Italy
Classic Italian favourites
All the enticing recipes from the TV series
Mouth-watering authentic Italian dishes to discover
Introduction
Corteccia, meaning 'tree bark', is also known as cavatelli, which comes from an Italian word meaning 'little hollows'. It's a great hands-on one to make with the kids, and each unique piece is gnarly, bumpy and perfect for catching sauce. Served with this hot pesto, I have to say it's one of my wife's all-time favourite pasta dishes.
Ingredients
| 400g | durum wheat flour or fine semolina flour, plus extra for dusting |
| 400g | sprouting broccoli or cime di rapa |
| olive oil | |
| 2 | cloves of garlic |
| 4 | anchovy fillets in oil |
| 1 | pinch of dried red chilli flakes |
| 40g | pecorino or Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve |
| extra virgin olive oil | |
| 1 | lemon |
Method
Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a well in the middle. Gradually add 200ml of warm water, using a fork to bring the flour in from the outside until it forms a dough. Knead on a flour-dusted surface, switching between fast and slow kneading, for 10 minutes, or until smooth.
To shape your corteccia, break marble-sized pieces off the dough and roll them into small, thin sausage shapes. One at a time, lay your fingers on top, then press down and drag the pasta back towards you to curl and create your shape, gently flicking the pasta pieces off your fingers so you don't squash them.
Trim the broccoli, halving any larger stalks lengthways so they cook evenly. Put a pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then peel, slice and add the garlic, followed by the anchovies and chilli flakes. A couple of minutes later, add the broccoli and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then a splash of water to break the frying. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the lid for another couple of minutes. Tip the broccoli mixture on to a large board and finely chop it. Finely grate over the cheese, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, then mix, taste and tweak to your liking.
Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes, or until al dente. Retaining a little cooking water to emulsify the sauce, drain the pasta, return to the pan, toss in the broccoli pesto, then taste again for balance. Finish with some extra virgin olive oil and an extra grating of cheese.
CALORIES 544kcal FAT 18.8g SAT FAT 4.3g PROTEIN 17.7g CARBS 81.3g SUGAR 2.8g SALT 1.3g FIBRE 6.6g
Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2018 Jamie Cooks Italy), photography: David Loftus.
