Fusilli Pugliesi with Muddica
This month’s featured recipe from Chef Rosario is two-fold: Fusilli Pugliesi (Fusilli with broccoli) with Muddica (Sicilian toasted bread crumbs). As a matter of fact, Fusilli pasta was Chef Rosario’spasta of choice in his first recipe published in the United States almost forty years ago. At the time, he and his wife owned a small Italian restaurant on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and one of the signature pasta dishes was Fusilli Pugliesi: an addictive pasta specialty inspired by the cuisine of the Italian region of Puglia (or Apulia), consisting of fusilli pasta with broccoli in an olive oil-garlic-chili pepper sauce with anchovies and topped with Pecorino Romano cheese.
In addition to the pasta itself comes the topping: Muddica. The world “muddica” in Sicilian dialect simply means “mollica,” which is the soft inside of Italian bread reduced to coarse crumbs. This breadcrumb topping is an authentic Sicilian delicacy that is great on any kind of pasta and can serve as a great vegan alternative to topping pasta with cheese on pasta.
Fusilli Pugliesi with Muddica
Ingredients
Fusilli Pugliesi
- 8 oz Fusilli pasta
- 1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 head Broccoli (about 9 ounces), cut into florets
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated or shredded
- Salt to taste for pasta water
- 1 pinch Hot red chili flakes or to taste
- 6-8 anchovy fillets (optional)
Instructions
Fusilli Pugliesi
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Bring a large pot of water (4 to 5 quarts) to a boil over high heat.
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While water is heating, chop the garlic and clean the broccoli, removing the stem and isolating the florets.
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Once the water has reached a rapid boil, add salt and then the pasta (add a little extra salt if you are not using anchovies in the sauce), bring the water back to a simmer and then add the broccoli florets. Cook until very al dente (about 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on package directions).
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While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, heat oil in a large non-reactive pan on low heat.
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Add chopped garlic and chili peppers to the hot oil. Cook for a minute or two over low heat, being careful NOT to brown the garlic; then add the anchovies (if using) and cook, stirring gently until they dissolve in the oil.
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When pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
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Transfer the pasta and broccoli to the pan with the oil along with some of the pasta water as needed—enough to keep the sauce moist but not too wet. Mix well on low heat until all the flavors are well incorporated, making sure that all the pasta water has been absorbed. As you mix, add half of the Pecorino Romano cheese and keep stirring until you achieve a creamy consistency and the broccoli starts to resemble pesto.
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Transfer to a platter or portion onto individual plates. Top with the rest of the Pecorino Romano.
Muddica
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Peel the garlic and smash it under a wooden spoon so that it stays together in one piece.
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Remove crusts from a day-old loaf of Italian bread. Break the bread into rough one-inch chunks and pulse in a food processor to achieve coarse crumbs.
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Choose a heavy pan (such as a cast iron or Le Creuset) to guarantee even heat distribution. Place on moderate heat. Add evoo, chili flakes and garlic clove.
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As soon as the oil is hot, add the breadcrumbs, lower the heat and cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, for about 15 minutes or until breadcrumbs are of a consistent rich golden color (not brown) and crunchy.
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Season with salt to taste, discard the garlic clove.
Recipe Notes
For this rustic Apulian specialty, treat yourself to the delightful Menhir Salento Novementi Rosato, a rosé version of the region’s most typical grape: Negroamaro. This rosé offers hints of fresh strawberries, red cherries, and watermelon. Its crisp finish makes it a natural for full-flavored pasta dishes.
Buon appetito and SHARE THE PASTA!!
