Medici Orrechiette
This dish takes me right back to Italy and the small hilltop village of Radda. I had a version of this pasta dish at a lunch that lasted almost five hours. Service is often slow in Italy. Every bite was worth the wait, as plate after plate of incredible rustic food appeared from the kitchen.
Ingredients
1 lb (500 g) orrechiette
¼ cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp (45 mL) capers, drained
3 tbsp (45 mL) toasted pine nuts
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp (15 mL) black olive paste
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon zest
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the orrechiette until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat; sauté the garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the capers, pine nuts, parsley, olive paste and lemon zest. Reduce heat to low, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, over gentle heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and heat through, stirring, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.