‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
I’m practically drooling at the thought of this pasta dish. Had I been dining in the privacy of my own home, I would have picked up the bowl and proceeded to slurp down the sauce that was on it. And it was heartwarming to see Kyle and Tiffany make this dish together, each executing the part of the dish that they knew best.
Below you’ll find the recipe for homemade ricotta cavatelli with slow-roasted pork, broccoli rabe and pine nuts. Before you go running for the hills, screaming, “Make pasta from scratch?! I caaaan’t!” let me assure you that it’s really easy, will only take about 15 minutes, and will taste far better than the pre-packaged, chemical-laden crap at your local grocery store. I have faith in you, dear reader. And if you’re here, you’re probably not the type of person looking up Rachael Ray recipes for burgers with hotdog bits in them (yes, folks, that happened). Put in a little effort, and you will be rewarded with a savory, memorably delicious meal.
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
Ricotta Cavatelli with Slow-Roasted pork, Broccoli Rabe & Pine Nuts (serves 4)
Ricotta Cavatelli, Ingredients:
8 oz ricotta
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose Flour
Salt and white pepper
Instructions for ricotta cavatelli:
1. Mix eggs and cheese with salt and pepper. Add to flour. Mix until homogenous. Rest for 1 hour at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap.
2. Roll into a 1 inch diameter “rope”, cut into 1 inch segments. Roll each segment off of the tines of a fork. Freeze.
3. Boil in salted water until they float (30-45 seconds). Move them directly into pasta.
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
*Tip from Tiffany and Kyle: You can cook the pasta fresh, but they say it actually has a better consistency if you freeze them first, and they’re more likely to cook evenly that way. Also for the real pasta connoisseur, you can shape the pasta using a gnocchi paddle or just a plain fork.
Roasted Pork, Ingredients:
5 lb. boneless pork butt (fun fact: this is not from the butt of the pig, rather it’s from the shoulder)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp black peppercorn
1 Tbsp fennel Seed
1/2 sprigs thyme
Salt
Instructions for Pork:
1. Wrap pork butt in foil, on a bed of onions and garlic, seasoned with black peppercorns, fennel seed and salt.
2. Roast at 300F for 5-6 hours.
3. Remove, cool and dice into 1 inch cubes.
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
Ingredients For Pasta:
1 cup broccoli rabe florets, blanched
1 cup broccoli rabe Stems, sliced thin
1 cup broccoli rabe leaves, picked and cleaned
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
3 oz chicken stock
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp parmesan, grated finely
1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 cup roasted pork
1 cup ricotta cavatelli
Instructions:
1. Sauté shallots and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add broccoli rabe leaves and stems, sauté. Add chicken stock, pork, broccoli rabe florets, pine nuts, parsley, parmesan and butter. Reduce to sauce consistency. Add cooked cavatelli. Serve hot.
‘Birch & Barley’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
WANT
“You can cook the pasta fresh, but they say it actually has a better consistency if you free them first, and they’re more likely to cook evenly that way.” Free them? Are the enslaved or in prison?
One could assume I meant freeze and that it was a simple typo. Either way, I have fixed it. :)