I very carefully chose orecchiette for this Pasta with Creamy Broccolini & Rapini Sauce. Because pasta is not one size fits all.

One of the most appealing aspects of a big plate of pasta is the pasta itself. We all know that pasta comes in all shapes and sizes. From big fat rings of calamarata (so named for its resemblence to calamari) to the tiny little rice-like grains in orzo.

Orecchiette has an ingenious shape that is formed by pressing your thumb into a marble sized ball of dough. This creates a rough impression of a tiny vessel perfectly suited to capture sauce. Making it an ideal choice for similarly textured chunky sauces or the very uniform textures like this creamy broccolini and rapini sauce.

While there are no hard and fast rules for pairing a pasta shape with a pasta sauce there is a common sense methodology. Starting with don't mix pasta shapes in one pot of water. While it might seems sensible to use up two half boxes of pasta during one meal. I want to encourage you to resist. Now I like using all the food in the house as much as the next cook– and spaghetti and spaghettini may seem like harmless companions. But (Hello!!) they each have different cooking times. See what I mean? Aren't you glad you have me to thank for saving you from a crisis?

I over heard some people talking in a restaurant recently about steak. The point one of the diners was trying to make was that in tough economic times people turn from “better” cuts of meat to the “cheaper” cuts of meat.

His point made sense to me. I suppose people do exactly that.

But then his next statement floored me. He said, “So when I cook a steak at home I force myself to buy something like a flank or skirt steak. But when eating in a nice restaurant I always order the filet, no matter what the price”.

I almost choked on my hanger steak!

I would advise just the opposite. While true that a good filet has a lovely soft tender texture. It cuts like "buttah" and we have been programmed to believe that means it tastes better. However, all filets, good, bad, or indifferent; cooked at home or at a Michelin starred restaurant are relatively flavorless. Why do you think people wrap them in bacon?

Let's talk about steak.

I over heard some people talking in a restaurant recently about steak. The point one of the diners was trying to make was that in tough economic times people turn from "better" cuts of meat to the "cheaper" cuts of meat.

His point made sense to me. I suppose people do exactly that.

But then his next statement floored me. He said, "So when I cook a steak at home I force myself to buy something like a flank or skirt steak. But when eating in a nice restaurant I always order the filet, no matter what the price".

I almost choked on my hanger steak!

I would advise just the opposite. While true that a good filet has a lovely soft tender texture. It cuts like "buttah" and we have been programmed to believe that means it tastes better. However, all filets, good, bad, or indifferent; cooked at home or at a Michelin starred restaurant are relatively flavorless. Why do you think people wrap them in bacon?