A native New Yorker, Chef Mario Carbone grew up in Queens surrounded by Italian cuisine and all it has to offer. From a young age, he spent his spare time working at local eateries, sparking his initial interest in culinary craft.
Within Major Food Group, The New York-based restaurant group in which he is a partner, he is known for "Carbone" his namesake concept which came to redefine midcentury Italian cuisine. He joins "GMA3" to share his Orecchiette Vito recipe, a signature dish on Carbone's menu.
Serving Size: 4 portions
Time to Prep: 30 minutes
Time to Cook: 10 minutes
Equipment Required: Steamer basket, food processor, saute pan, pot, clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
Swap Option: DeCecco Dry Orecchiette Pasta can work just as well, following the cooking instructions
Ingredients for primary recipe:
½ pound Fresh Orecchiette Pasta
¾ pound Italian Sausage, broken into ½” pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced
¼ cup Scallions, sliced
¾ tsp Dried Red Chili Flake
1 cup White Wine
½ cup of washed, dried and chopped broccoli leaves
¼ cup Olive Oil
¾ cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano, 24 month
Broccoli Rabe Pesto Ingredients:
2 quarts of water
½ cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
½ pound peeled Broccoli Rabe
1 whole Garlic Clove, peeled
½ cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano, 24 month
¼ cup Olive Oil
Directions for primary recipe:
1. In a pot of salted boiling water, drop and cook the pasta for
approximately 4-9 minutes, or until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil in a saute pan, and heat over medium-high
heat. Once hot, gently place the sausage into the pan to brown, stirring
occasionally to break it up.
3. Once the sausage is about halfway cooked, add the garlic, scallions, and
chili flake, cooking for 30 seconds.
4. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Reduce the wine by half.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, adding about 2oz of the salted pasta
water to the pan.
6. Add the Broccoli Rabe Pesto and broccoli leaves, returning the pan
back to the heat.
7. Add the cooked, drained pasta. While mixing all ingredients in the pan,
be sure the pesto does not brown. This process should only take 30
seconds. The sauce should be loose but just enough to coat the pasta.
The broccoli rabe leaves should be cooked, but still have some integrity.
8. Remove the pan from heat, and add the olive oil and grated parmesan
cheese.
9. If necessary, add additional pasta water as needed to thin out the pasta
sauce if it becomes too thick. Do not put the pan over heat once the
cheese is added.
Directions for Broccoli Rabe Pesto
1. Prepare a salted ice bath: In a large bowl or container, mix to dissolve ½
cup of kosher salt to 2 quarts of cold water. Once the salt is dissolved,
add ice. Set aside.
2. Place the peeled broccoli rabe in a steamer basket, inside a pot of
boiling water. Cover and steam the broccoli for 5 minutes or until fully
cooked. The leaves should be wilted, and the stems tender.
3. Once cooked, place the steamed broccoli into the salted ice bath,
ensuring the water covers entirely. The broccoli should be shocked in
the ice bath just until cold. This should not sit in it for more than a few
minutes. Once cooled, strain and remove the broccoli from the ice bath.
4. Using a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, squeeze as much water
from the broccoli rabe as possible. Once the moisture is removed, rough
chop the broccoli rabe.
5. Using a food processor, slowly blend the cooked broccoli, garlic, and
parmesan. As the ingredients start to come together, slowly add the
olive oil to emulsify. The desired texture is slightly coarse but fully
emulsified and vibrant.
6. Season with kosher salt to taste.
7. This can be made in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge
for up to 3 days.
