Perciatelli with Greens and Sausage
Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Sausage
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive

This preparation is inspired by the way they cook friarelli (young broccoli rabe) in Naples.  There they boil the greens and then sauté them with lots of garlic and olive oil.  Then it can go on a pizza with sliced cooked sausages and mozzarella, known as pizza pulcinello.  Anyway, I went to the farmers market looking for friarelli but didn’t find it until the end when I had already bought spinach and black kale.  So I thought what the heck, let me make all of this with the sausages and pork and put it on the perciatelli as I was having seven people for dinner that night anyway.  So I served it with an heirloom tomato salad. You can also use pork butt or shoulder too. Don't worry too much about the ratio of greens--it doesn't matter.  If you decide to cut the recipe in half or a quarter the cooking times will reduce too.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Preparation Time: 1:45 hours in all

1 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs (about 4)

1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage

2 1/2 pound broccoli rabe, bottom part of stems removed and set aside

3/4 pound black kale

2 pounds spinach, trimmed of heavy stems, washed well

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil                 

10 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound perciatelli (bucatini)

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste

1. Place the pork meat in a heavy flameproof casserole and pour in about a half inch of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes.  When done, slice and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then reduce the heat a bit and poach the sausages until firm, about 15 minutes.  Remove, cool, and slice on the bias.

3. Return the water to a boil and plunge the broccoli rabe and black kale in until wilted, uncovered, about 10 minutes.  Remove with tongs and drain.  Cook the spinach until wilted, 2 minutes.  Remove and drain.  Add the broccoli rabe stems and cook 8 minutes, then remove and drain.  Let the greens sit in a colander to drain more, then chop coarsely.

4. In a large flameproof casserole, heat 1 cup olive oil over medium-high heat with the garlic until the garlic is sizzling, then reduce the heat to medium and add the greens, after having squeezed out whatever water remained in them, and stir and cook, stirring, the greens until soft, about 10 minutes.

5. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat, then cook the sliced sausages and pork until crispy, about 5 minutes, stirring.

6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly then cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.  Drain without rinsing. Transfer the pasta to a large serving platter, spread the greens over the pasta and then the meat on top of the greens and serve with the grated cheese.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 12/21/2006