Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa

Combine the semola with the water until you have a very soft dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes under a slightly damp tea towel (dish towel) and you’ll find it has become even more soft and supple.

Cut the dough into four portions and take one piece, keeping the rest covered with a damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out. Roll the dough into a long snake, no more than 1 cm (1⁄2 in) thick, then, with a small knife (preferably something small and simple such as a butter knife with a rounded, slightly flexible tip), cut the snake on the diagonal into pieces about 1.5 cm (1⁄2 in), maximum 2 cm (3⁄4 in), long. It is easier to make orecchiette with smaller pieces the first time.

Moving diagonally, use the rounded tip of the knife to roll from one corner to the other. Pick up the piece of dough on the tip of your index finger of your non-dominant hand, then use the second and third finger of your other hand to flip the orecchiette inside out onto the thumb of your non-dominant hand. Continue with the remaining dough until they’re finished.

Place the finished orecchiette on clean, dry tea towels to dry out. It’s best to let them sit overnight before cooking, or at least for a few hours. If fully dried, they will take 10 minutes to cook; if fresh or partially dried, they will take about 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

In the meantime, prepare the cime di rapa by washing and draining it, then cutting off the thickest stems, keeping all the leaves, heads and the most tender parts of the stems.

Boil the cime di rapa for about 3 minutes (in batches if necessary), or until it is a deep but still bright green and is slightly wilted. Remove the cime di rapa from the water, reserving the cooking water for the pasta.

Rinse the cooked cime di rapa in cold water to halt the cooking process. Squeeze out any excess water, then chop roughly (any flowering broccoli florets can be sliced in half lengthways or in quarters if large) and squeeze again. This can all be done in advance, if needed.

Bring the pot of cooking water to the boil again.

Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan over a low, gentle heat. Add the garlic cloves and anchovies and, once the garlic begins to get fragrant but not coloured and the anchovies are sizzling and breaking down (about 3–5 minutes), add the chilli (if using), followed by the cooked cime di rapa.

Add the wine or pasta cooking water and the rest of the olive oil and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, or until the greens turn deep green and glossy. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

In the meantime, cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and toss with the cime di rapa until well combined. If you feel it is a little dry, add the rest of the reserved cooking water and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve with finely grated cheese