Orecchiette are a pasta typical of Apulia, a region of southern Italy. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear. They’re thinner in the middle than they are on the edges, which gives them a unique texture, but if you can’t find them, you can substitute with your favourite type of pasta.
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: less than 10 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pistachios
- 2 cloves garlic (use 1 for pesto and 1 for cooking the courgette)
- 1–2 tbsp water
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 courgette, cut into thin slices
- 2–3 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin slices
- small pinch of chilli flakes
- 200g orecchiette
To garnish:
- small handful pistachios, crushed into small bits
- small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
- small handful toasted garlicky breadcrumbs
- extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
- Place the pistachios, 1 clove garlic, water and olive oil into a food processor and blitz until the ingredients resemble pesto. Season and set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water on the side.
- Heat up a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low heat and cook the remaining garlic, courgette and sun-dried tomatoes for about 3–4 minutes. Remove the garlic clove, then add the pesto and reserved pasta water. Cook for another minute or so, until the sauce is nice and creamy.
- Toss in the cooked orecchiette to the saucepan and mix well.
- Serve and garnish with some crushed pistachios, garlicky breadcrumbs, chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
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