Rania's Recipe: Orecchiette A La Braciole
If you're looking for a traditional Italian dish, be sure to try out this recipe from Rania Harris!
Orecchiette a la Braciole
- 2/3 cup freshly Parmesan cheese
- 1⁄3 cup grated provolone cheese
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pound piece of flank steak
- 1 large carrot – diced
- 1 large sweet onion - diced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 4 cups homemade marinara sauce (see recipe)
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 pound Orecchiette Pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the cheeses, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together.
Lay the flank steak out flat on work surface and pound with a meat mallet to an even thickness. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pat the breadcrumb mixture over the steak.
Starting at one short end, roll up the steak (like a jelly roll) and tie with butcher's twine. Season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the rolled steak.
Cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside while continuing with the recipe.
Add the carrots and onions to the pan – adding a bit more olive oil, if necessary and sauté until they begin to soften.
Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, and stir in the marinara sauce and bay leaves.
Add the rolled steak back to the pan. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After about 1 ½ hours, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
While the braciole is in the oven finishing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Orecciette al dente.
Drain, saving a cup of the pasta water.
Remove the braciole from the sauce to a cutting board. Remove the bay leaves and discard from the sauce. Slice the beef rolls into rounds. Add just enough of the drained pasta water to the sauce, to thin slightly and then add the pasta to the sauce and toss all together. Serve on a large platter and top with the braciole rounds and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 peeled and halved garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 - 35-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes in their own puree
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- 2 basil sprigs
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sugar and basil sprigs and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not reduce, as the sauce will thicken while cooking the Braciole.
