According to Agricola Slow Food, which published this in a collection of recipes from Abruzzo, the choice of cavatelli as the type of pasta clearly reveals Puglian influence, as does the use of broccoli raab. They go on to say that the combination of greens and fish is quite common in the Abruzzo region, in part because of barter between farmers and fishermen, and in part because those farmers who had boats would take them out to supplement their incomes. To serve four you'll need:
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound (300 g) cavatelli (a shape of pasta, use penne, orecchiette or farfalle instead if need be)
- 1/2 pound (200 g) broccoli raab (you could perhaps use collard greens if need be)
- 3 ounces (75 g) shelled, deveined scampi or shrimp
- 1/4 pound (100 g) cleaned baby cuttlefish (you can also use baby squid)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 fairly sweet hot pepper
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
Preparation:
Bring abundant lightly salted water to boil.In a large skillet, heat the pepper in the oil until it begins to brown, then remove and shred it. Stir in the broccoli raab, shrimp, and cuttlefish; salt the mixture to taste and cook it for a few minutes over a medium flame.
While the shrimp are cooking, cook the pasta. Drain it when it's al dente, reserving a little of the water it cooked in, and stir it into the skillet. Cook for a minute or so, tossing the pasta as if you were flipping an omelet, and stir in the reserved water if the dish looks too dry (it may well). Stir in the shredded pepper and serve at once.
