In search of the best Orecchiette dish.

I love my pasta!

Here we go with another lengthy write-up of a dish that I find exciting and very tasty.

The name of this dish refers to the shape of the pasta. The traditional dish from Apulia is orecchiette alle cime di rapa, a dish of orecchiette and rapini, also called turnip tops. Generally, in this area, it’s made with sausage broccoli rabe and might or might not include beans. I have found that it’s generally a delicious dish. All dishes are from the lunch menu unless otherwise noted.

ORECCHIETTE (19) from Daniella's Cafe in Danvers. "sausage, broccoli rabe, white bean".  The food was piping hot with plenty of lovely and well-seasoned sauce. I quickly mixed the toasted breadcrumbs with the sauce, thickening it slightly. The Italian sausage was really well seasoned, and the pasta was cooked correctly. This was a delightful lunch with enough leftovers for dinner. This is a lovely place with excellent service.

Orecchiette ($18.99 $20.99) from Luna Rossa in Tewksbury. “Pasta ears with sausage, broccoli rabe and sundried tomato, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes”. The pasta was a tad too al dente, and the sauce was very bland. They forgot the pepper flakes. Plenty of sausages. I'm not sure what the sundried tomatoes are doing here. I have always been pleased with my lunches here, but this was below par. The service was courteous and friendly. The pasta is the wrong shape.

Orecchiette (small $16.50) from Evviva Trattoria in Stoneham. "Bianco & Sons Sausage, Broccolini, Lemon, Red Pepper Flakes, White Wine Reduction, Parmigiano".

It was delicious with the pasta cooked al dente properly. The sausage was tasty, as was the broth. Apart from being a small dish, I was happy with the dish. The bread was being baked and arrived a bit later, but it was excellent with a very lovely dipping oil. The service was excellent. Spoon left for scale.

Da Vinci in Waltham tempted me with Orecchiette on their dinner menu. I ordered the Orecchiette Sausage Broccoli ($22): “Orecchiette pasta in sausage and broccoli rabe white wine sauce.” The pasta was cooked well, and the sausage and sauce were tasty. However, some pasta disks clung together, too al dente for my liking. The serving seemed small for the price. Sitting at a hightop, I couldn’t cross my legs—chair or table height issue.

Osteria Nino in Burlington. Dinner Orecchiette ($19). “italian sausage, chopped broccolini, red onion, crushed red pepper flakes”. The pasta was the wrong shape and overcooked. The broccolini was undercooked, but I really didn’t mind. It was cut very fine and added a nice texture. The sausage was delicious, as was the broth. There was a good amount of both, and I liked that. The bread and dipping oil were excellent. The service in the bar was friendly and polite.

Nappi in Medford. They do make an Orecchiette, but they use fusilli as the pasta ($18.95). The fresh fusilli could have been more al dente. The house-made sausage is excellent and very tasty, with a nice texture. I would have liked some broth, but what do I know? I also got the pepper flakes shaker, and she said it goes well with the dish. Indeed, it does. This was a tasty and enjoyable dish in this delightful restaurant.

Wood + Fire in Melrose. No lunch menu. Another place that opens at 12. “Orecchiette & Sausage Rabe garlic white wine sauce ($22). This was one of the better ones that I have encountered. The correct shape of pasta cooked al dente. Plenty of tasty sausage and rabe. Delicious sauce and there was plenty of it. In fact, I got myself a spoon to enjoy it. It was a generous serving. Delightful service. I also got a high top next to the windows and enjoyed the views.

Tony C’s in Burlington. Orecchiette (17.50). “Italian sausage, broccoli, spinach, garlic, parmesan cheese”. Much to my surprise, it arrived with broccoli! That’s also what the menu says, I didn’t catch that it said broccoli instead of broccolini, my bad. It quickly got relocated to my spare extra plate. The pasta was the correct shape, cooked al dente. The sausage was a bit spicy, the excellent and plentiful sauce was tasty, with pepper flakes included. If it wasn’t for the broccoli, this would have been a highly-rated version.

The best of the bunch was Daniella’s Cafe and Wood + Fire. I’ll be back to both places when I have an Orecchiette craving. All places manage to spell the name of the dish correctly.

“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

 

    - Maya Angelou