Orecchiette 2: beef or broccoli (turnip tops) & Don Quijote?

Sometimes an ingredient attracts your attention because of its shape. Orechiette always fascinated me for this reason. It is like a vessel you can load with different sorts of flavours. Sometimes those that look as impossible preparations come out to be the easiest ones, and while the water boils you are able to achieve amazing results. Sometimes, simply the fact that a dish is your girlfriend's preferred one, encourages you to indulge on its unrhymed poetry. Moreover, orecchiette remind me of Don Quijote, because of the resemblance between their shape and his typical element:

Murillo Benich Hugo, The dream of Don Quijote, 1980.
Benich Hugo is able to capture all the elements of the dream
in one painting: this ability is similar to that of the dish of pasta,
where all the cooking processes have to homogenize
according to a specific manner.

This time I wish to tickle your interest on two opposite dressings: the Aberdeen beef ragout I prepared two posts ago and the sautées broccoli. Broccoli substitute here turnip tops, which would actually be the most indicate vegetable for the orecchiette.

What to do with turnip greens? Good question: "I know vegetables"

offers several answers, although sometimes

his selection of recipes is using too conventional ideas

(this sounds dreadfully hipster, but it didn't meant to):

http://www.iknowvegetables.com/turnip-greens.html

Here is the meaty suggestion:

Measure around 80 gr of orechiette (Tesco finest* 1,65£),

let them boil in salted water

for 11 minutes.

Aren't they just beautiful like this?

Shall we call it entertaining pasta?

Drain the orecchiette and dress them with the 

Aberdeen angus beef ragout, lightly warmed up:

the mild ragout and the hot pasta 

will reach the right temperature not

to burn your tongue at the first bite.

Sprinkle with some Pecorino

or another hard cheese.

Here is, instead the vegetarian answer: this condiment is so tasty and rich that everyone will appreciate it, because it recreates a sort of Southern atmosphere, and brings the broccoli to a higher level, without begin excessive. Moreover, this recipe allows you to avoid using the broccoli as a side dish, and cooking the pasta in his water possibly helps to save even more nutrients.

Select your broccoli (there are Tesco Organic, 1,40£ each)

Boil them in salted water,

KEEP THE WATER TO COOK THE PASTA

Drain the broccoli with a skimmer and 

fry them gently in 2 tbs of extra-virgin olive oil

with some chili, a clove of garlic.

Add 30 ml of tomato sauce, only to give colour,

correct the sapidity. 

Drain the orecchiette, but keeping them wet

(or just add a ladle of cooking water before draining):

stir until the liquid and the sauce will be 

well absorbed.

Add also some Pecorino during the stirring process.

Take a quick picture and eat them,

in their decadent light.

Some people would add some bread crumbs, and I am positively favorable to this extra topping, especially if you brown for 30 seconds the breadcrumbs in a pan.