CALAMARATA

Hanging out at my local Market I came to some fresh NZ cockles, I got a couple of dozens, and I already picture in my mind what's for dinner.

I also got a bag of this pasta I never used before, called Calamarata, which looks similar to cut calamari tubes and goes great with seafood .

You need about 25 minutes, which are going to be highly rewarded, by the satisfaction of enjoying this dish.

For four people, you need one bag of pasta (1lb)

2 dz cockles

1 bunch of broccolini or broccoli rabe

3 cloves of chopped garlic

4 oz of chopped dry hot sopressata or dry spicy chorizo

olive oil salt & pepper

While boiling a gallon of water, for the pasta, rinse the cockles well, and let them under running cold water .

In a large pan, heat up some olive oil, add the chopped garlic and chopped broccolini, then saute them together for a couple of minutes.

Once the greens are getting softer, add finely chopped sopressata and the cockles, and cooked them for 5 minutes, adding a cup of hot water, from the pasta.

Remove the pasta from the water, and transfer it to the cooking pan, add salt and pepper according to your taste, and mixed them together over reduced flame, keep stirring for few more minutes.

Once the pasta looks done, remove it from the stove, let it rest for a minute, then serve it.

A nice bottle of Falanghina or Greco di Tufo, will be the right compliment for this dish.

NO CHEESE PLEASE!

Enjoy it .