This is one of my (Stan's) favourite vegetables. Cime di rapa (meaning head of rape (mustard)) is a quick-growing, leafy mustard green popular in Italy. It's great just wilted in a pan with some olive oil, garlic salt and lemon. However, the classic recipe from Apulia is worth a try. You could go to the trouble of making orecchiete. I struggle to shape it as well as this granny:
so, I usually make cavatelli which is more straightforward:
The pasta dough I make is with semola di grana duro rimacinata (extra-fine milled pasta semolina). I do 47% hydration (i.e. for 100g of flour add 47g water) . For Briony and me, I make 350g flour + 165g water = 515g pasta (no salt - save that for the cooking water). That's quite a lot of pasta. That would be enough for 3-4 sedentary adults. You can use bought, dried orechiette instead, if you're feeling sedentary...
This recipe for orechiette with cime di rapa is pretty good. I make my breadcrumbs in a large mortar and pestle (uneven crumbs are the best!). Also, I use all of the cime not omitting the stems as this recipe does. I also use fresh red chile rather than flakes.
