These are what my Mama's looked like.

These are what my Mama's looked like.

Orechiette pasta with rapini and sausage

Memories of my mama sitting at her pasta board, making fresh orechiette.  I wanted to help her, so I sat next to her and would not stop asking until she gave in (I'm still that way).

She would give me a knife and some dough and I would really try hard and when I succeeded, she would tell me that I can help her all the time.

Waiting to add the drained orechiette pasta

Waiting to add the drained orechiette pasta

Orechiette pasta, next to homemade, these are great

Orechiette pasta, next to homemade, these are great

Let's make them right now!

Follow my recipe for Broccoli Rabe (rapini).. set aside.

Brown in 1 TBS olive oil:

1 lb sweet or hot sausage (you can use turkey or chicken sausage, if you prefer) in a large skillet or wok.

Cook until no pink is showing. Add 1/4 cup of any wine. If you don't want to use wine, you can substitute red wine vinegar. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes.

Add the cooked rapini into the skillet with the cooked sausage.

Boil water for pasta. Drain the pasta (reserve a cup of pasta water) and add to the sausage mixture.

Toss to coat the pasta well. Add plenty of good grated Locatelli cheese. If it looks too dry, add the pasta water a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.

Buon Appetito!

Ready for the grated Locatelli cheese.

Ready for the grated Locatelli cheese.