An Italian Meal For The Week

We're entering the winter months, which in much of Italy mean cabbage of one sort or another. In the south, especially, broccoli and broccoli raab (also known as cime di rapa) are very popular, and it therefore seems fitting to begin with one of my favorite winter pasta dishes, which features them prominently:

Orecchiette coi Broccoletti, Orecchiette pasta with Broccoli. Even those who think they hate broccoli enjoy this classic dish from Puglia.

We'll follow the pasta with Stuffed Cuttlefish Pugliese Style, simple baked stuffed cuttlefish with a bread filling. Quite easy to do, and tasty too. With the cuttlefish? A tossed salad seasoned with olive oil, vinegar and salt.

And to close? Fresh fruit. It's difficult to beat the Williams pears we have in Italian markets now.

Wine? I would be tempted by a white for both the pasta and the cuttlefish. Perhaps a Castel Del Monte Bianco: Rivera's is quite nice, as is Torrevento's. Enjoy!