Orecchiette with Cooked Green Leafy Vegetables

Orecchiette (the word means “little ears”) are popular in Puglia, the region of Italy that Greece-bound travelers vaguely remember passing through on their way to the ferry in Bari. Many of Puglia’s pasta dishes are based on vegetables and olive oil; Puglia is famous for both. Although the Pugliese have their favorite greens—broccoli raab among them—this simple method of combining greens and pasta can be used for chard, arugula, kale, turnip or beet greens, or even spinach.