Cavatelli with Rapini and Pecorino

from Christophe Hille of A16 Restaurant

Serves 4 to 6

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INGREDIENTS:
1 cup or 250 ml Water
750 grams or 1.6 lbs Flour
1 big pinch Salt
3 bunches Rapini greens or broccoli rabe
3 cloves Garlic, smashed
3 fillets Anchovy, chopped (optional)
1 pinch Chiles
Abundant Olive oil
Pecorino, to taste
Olive oil, to taste

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PREPARATION:

1. Combine the flour, water and salt, and mix by hand or with a kitchen aid mixer until the dough is smooth and firm
2. Cut the dough into a few pieces, wrap with plastic and allow it to rest for 15 minutes
3. Roll the dough into pencil-thick logs, cut into 1 inch segments, and form cavatelli as demonstrated (with fingers)
4. Put the formed cavatelli onto a flour-dusted cookie sheet and freeze
5. Once frozen solid, the cavatelli can be packed loose into an airtight container and frozen for several months
6. Boil a large pot of water, salt generously, and blanch the rapini greens for 4 minutes
7. Remove the rapini greens and shock under cold water to stop the cooking. Finely chop
8. In a large sauce pan, warm up a generous amount of olive oil, add the garlic, anchovies and chiles
9. Satue until the garlic begins to brown lightly, then add the chopped rapini greens and raise the heat
10. Continue cooking greens over high heat, adding water as needed to keep the sauce moist, until they are tender and tasty
11. Remove from the heat and spread rappini greens on a cookie tray to cool them quickly.
12. Boil a pot of water for the pasta, well salted
13. Place one handful of frozen cavatelli per portion into the boiling water, and boil for 3 minutes
14. For each portion, place in a separate saucepan a heaping spoonful of the greens and a couple ounces of water
15. While the pasta is boiling, bring the ingredients in the saucepan to a boil
16. Strain the pasta, add to the saucepan and boil for a couple of minutes
17. Pour pasta into bowls or a serving dish, drizzle generously with olive oil and top with grated pecorino