Orecchiette with Broccoli & Chilli Pesto and a Fennel Crumb (Vegan)

The word “broccoli” comes from the Italian broccolo, which roughly translates as “the flowering crest of a cabbage”. The brassica is native to the Mediterranean, engineered by early horticulturalists in Tuscany. Revered by Italian natives since the Roman era, the vegetable is so synonymous with “lo Stivale” that, upon its arrival in England around the mid-18th century, broccoli was referred to as “Italian asparagus”. While broccoli is a cold-weather crop, we’ve given the vegetable a distinctly summery twist, in the form of a vibrant broccoli pesto, flecked with warming red chilli. Fragrant basil and heady garlic finish the sauce, which gains its signature creaminess and rustic texture from a mixture of pine nuts and almonds.

In Puglia, broccoli is typically served with orecchiette pasta, which, in turn, is our pasta of choice to pair with this vibrant pesto. Orecchiette, translating to ‘’little ears’’ in reference to their shape, are a pasta bianca (or white pasta, made without egg). This shape is prepared by nonne throughout Puglia by hand, and is synonymous with Southern Italy’s ‘’cucina povera’’, or poor man’s kitchen. Historically, the impoverished south could ill-afford to prepare pasta with eggs, a tradition associated with Italy’s northern regions, which, to this day, remain disproportionately better-off. We serve our light pasta and fresh, nutrient-rich pesto with a fennel crumb for an authentic taste of Puglia.

Note: Please consume or freeze our pasta and sauces within 2 days of delivery.  

Ingredients