Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Method

1. Make the pasta dough: On a work surface, mound 200 g of semolina flour. Make a well in the center, add a pinch of salt, and gradually add about 100 g of warm water, mixing with your fingers until a dough forms.
2. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Tear and recombine the dough to develop gluten. Let rest under a damp cloth for at least 15 minutes.
3. While the dough rests, prepare the broccoli rabe: Trim the tough stems and wash the leaves thoroughly. Blanch in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and squeeze dry. Chop roughly.
4. Make the sauce: Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble it into a cold pan. Cook over medium heat, letting the fat render, until browned. Add a drizzle of olive oil, sliced garlic, and chili pepper. Sauté briefly.
5. Add the chopped broccoli rabe to the pan and stir. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes. Optionally, add a few cherry tomatoes, halved. Add a ladle of the broccoli cooking water to help the sauce come together.
6. Roll the pasta: Divide the rested dough into ropes about the thickness of a finger. Cut into small pieces. Press each piece with your thumb and drag it across a wooden board to form orecchiette (little ears). Place on a floured tray and let dry for 20 minutes in a sunny spot.
7. Cook the orecchiette in the same salted boiling water used for the broccoli rabe for about 3 minutes after they float to the surface. Drain al dente, reserving some pasta water.
8. Transfer the cooked orecchiette to the pan with the sauce. Toss over high heat, adding a splash of pasta water if needed, until the pasta is well coated. Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil. Serve immediately.