Pasta with turnip greens - orecchiette cime di rapa

This is really a Southern recipe!
From Puglia, a light dish, made with fresh sprouts and a hint of chili pepper...
Try to find the real ingredients: the shape of the pasta rally makes the difference in taste.
I have not yet learned how to make this pasta at home, I will keep you informed. In the meantime there are very good dried pastas you can buy, which is  much, much easier!
I laike them cold as weel, mad might be a bright idea to prepare them in advance. Also you can rewarm them with a short sauteing in a pan.


Ingredients
1kg - 2 pds.Turnip greens
350 gr. dry orecchiette
extra virgin olive oil
4 anchovies
2 dried chilly peppers
3 cloves garlic
Salt
Pepper






1) Wash the greens and cut them into pieces. Some prefer to use the leaves only, but if the stem is soft I like to eat it all.



2) De-bone the anchovies.










3) In a large frying pan, gently saute 4 spoons of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic, the chili peppers and the anchovies until the fish is melted. Remove from fire, and remove the garlic.





4) Bring to the boil a large pan of water, salt it, and add the orecchette and let them cook for half of the time shown on the packaging. Then add the vegetable and let them cook together until the pasta is ready.

5) Take some water from the pan, pour it into the oil sauce, drain your pasta in a colander and pour it in the lange pan with the oil. Add fresh ground pepper and some more oil if needed and serve immedialety.

Potatoes and onion gratin

This side dish can be served as an appetizer as well, and you can modify the quantities of the vegetable for example adding more onions if you love them.

As usual I made single portions, because I find easier to handle and of course to freeze if there is something left.

Of course you can make just one baking dish and spoon in every plate.

It is delicius, easy to make and can be prepared in advance. 

Ingredients:

1 white or golden onion finely sliced

2 potatoes finely sliced

120 grs - 1/4 lb Fontina (or other cow melting cheese), sliced

Salt

Pepper

Butter 

Bechamel sauce

For the bechamel sauce

50 grs. / 1.7 oz flour

50 grs. / 1.7 oz. butter

1/2 lt / 1 pint milk

salt pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg.

And follow the instructions here!

1) Pre-heat your oven 180°C / 350° F 

2) Make the bechamel sauce (or you can buy it, but it will be a little too runny....)

3) Peel and cut the onions and put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until soft but not browining (or in the microwave for few minutes)

4) Wash, peel and finely slice your potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Grease the ramekins with soft butter.

6) Start making layers with your ingredients: potatoes, cheese, onions, bechamel sauce, potatoes again...

On the top put a last layer of bechamel sauce.

Do not fill too much or the bechamel with run out of the ramekin

7) Put  the ramekins in the oven and let bake until you see that the bechamel is boiling. (About 20 minutes).

8) Take out of the oven and let them settle for about 5 minutes before serving or keep them warm for later.