How to cook casarecce pasta! This twisted Sicilian pasta shape will become your new favorite pasta! This one-pot recipe pairs so well with broccolini rabe in a rich herb butter sauce, and is topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs instead of parmesan. Simple, bold, and ready in 30 minutes!
“How do you pronounce casarecce?” A fellow shopper asked me in the pasta aisle, holding up this beautiful twisted shape.
I had to admit that it caught me by surprise, too! It’s pronounced “Ca-saa-reh-chi” and once you try it, you’ll never go back to boring pasta shapes.
This one-pot casarecce pasta is made with broccolini rabe in a rich herb butter sauce. It’s made with simple Mediterranean ingredients that come together in minutes.
I swapped Parmesan for homemade panko breadcrumbs and added red pepper flakes for a little kick. Trust me, it’s a game-changer!
🤔 What is casarecce pasta?
Casarecce (pronounced “Ca-saa-reh-chi” as my fellow grocery store shopper discovered!) translates to “homemade” in Italian. It’s a beautiful twisted pasta shape that originated in Sicily (southern Italy) before spreading across the whole country. Now, it can be found everywhere, including on sale in my local Florida grocery store!
It’s a very light, airy, soft pasta that will practically melt in your mouth. It’s not like other heavy pastas like penne, cavatappi, or rigatoni. This is why it’s good for those who may have digestive problems with heavy pastas.
Learning how to cook casarecce pasta starts with understanding what makes this shape unique. I have found it works best in simple recipes rather than creamy Alfredo sauce, Pesto, or marinara sauce. In my opinion, heavy sauces completely overwhelm this pasta’s delicate texture and unique shape, and that would be a crime!
You can find casarecce in any pasta aisle or from a good-quality Italian grocery store. Lucky for us, casarecce can also be bought from (affiliate link) Amazon!
What makes THIS recipe special is the herb butter sauce: fresh herbs, garlic, and butter that clings perfectly to casarecce’s twisted shape. Unlike heavy cream sauces that overwhelm delicate pasta, this light buttery sauce lets the casarecce shine the way it deserves to.
How to Cook Casarecce Pasta
Cooking the pasta:
- Boil 5 cups of water on medium heat. It will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Add salt and the uncooked casarecce pasta to the boiling water.
- Cook for 9 minutes or until tender.
- Drain and set aside. No need to save some of the pasta water.
Roasting the broccolini rabe:
- Preheat oven to 350° (176°C).
- Mix oil, salt, and broccolini rabe in a bowl. Remember to set aside 3 leaves of the broccolini rabe.
- Spread it out on a baking tray and bake for no more than 5 minutes.
- Once done, remove and set aside.
Making the sauce:
- In a food processor, blend the fresh herbs, water, salt, and pepper.
- Place a strong bottom pan on the stove and set the heat to medium.
- After 30 seconds, add butter and oil.
- When the butter has melted (about 2-3 minutes), add the blended herbs.
- Mix well and add lemon juice.
Assemble the dish:
- Place the pasta and roasted broccolini rabe in a large glass bowl.
- Pour the butter sauce over the pasta, but keep 1 tsp of the sauce in the pan.
- Place the pan back on the stove and add the 3 rabe leaves you saved.
- Cook for about 30 seconds on low. Don’t burn them.
- Transfer the leaves to the pasta bowl and mix well.
- Add the panko bread crumbs and red pepper flakes.
The pasta is now ready to serve.
🍞 Why I use panko instead of Parmesan
Instead of parmesan, I reached for homemade panko breadcrumbs, and honestly, it was one of the best cooking decisions I’ve made! I had ciabatta rolls on hand and quickly toasted and ground them into crispy golden panko. The result? A light, crunchy topping that perfectly clung to every twist of the casarecce.
If you want to know everything about making and using panko breadcrumbs, check out my complete panko guide! It’s a game-changer!
That said, if you do love cheese in your pasta, pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano are my top recommendations. Both add a lovely nutty flavor without overwhelming the delicate herb butter sauce.
Trust me, once you try panko on pasta, you’ll never go back to plain parmesan! If you like broccoli in your pasta, check out this pasta with broccoli recipe by The Bella Vita.
Casarecce Pasta With Broccolini Rabe
Ingredients
- 2 cups casarecce uncooked
For roasting the broccolini rabe
- 1 cup broccolini rabe Save about 3 leaves but remove the rest
- 1½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt optional
For the vegan butter sauce
- 7 leaves basil fresh is better
- ½ cup curly parsley loosely packed, fresh is better
- 8 leaves mint fresh is better
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper optional
- 1 tsp water
- 2 Tbsp butter I prefer grass fed butter.
- 1½ Tbsp garlic finely shredded
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp lemon juice
For Garnish
- 3 Tbsp panko bread crumbs Homemade
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to instructions and make sure its tender
To roast the broccolini rabe
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix oil, salt and broccolini rabe in a bowl
- Spread it out on a baking tray and bake for no more than 5 minutes
To make the butter sauce
- In a food processor, blend the fresh herbs, water, salt and pepper
- On the stove top, heat a heavy bottom pan for 30 seconds
- Add the butter and oil
- When it melts, add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds on low heat
- Add the blended herbs
- Mix well and add the lemon juice
Assembling the pasta
- In a large bowl, add the pasta and the roasted broccolini rabe
- Pour the herb butter sauce but keep very little of it in the pan
- Place the pan back on the stove and add the 3 rabe leaves you saved
- Cook for about 30 seconds on low. Don’t burn them
- Transfer the leaves to the pasta bowl and mix well
- Add the panko bread crumbs and red pepper flakes
Serve immediately
Video
Nutrition
🍽️ What to serve with it
- Air Fryer garlic bread – I made garlic bread in the air fryer using lemon balm butter. It turned out to be a delicious and unique experience. Since it is a herb-butter garlic bread, it fits perfectly with this pasta. P/S: I grow my own lemon balm because it’s so easy.
- Quinoa soup – Soup and pasta are my favorite combination. The warmth of a hearty protein soup pairs well with the deliciousness of a light, buttery pasta.
- Everything bagel dinner rolls – If you are one of those who like to soak up pasta sauce with bread, then I have just the rolls for you. These homemade dinner rolls are light and airy, so they will definitely soak up the buttery sauce.
- Caesar Salad – This vegan Caesar salad will pair so well with pasta. In my Caesar salad, I use toasted tofu instead of croutons, so it will go great with this casarecce pasta.
- Panzanella salad – This combination was new to me, but the tomatoes and bread in panzanella complement the herb butter sauce beautifully. Have you tried it?
⏰ Make-ahead and storage tips
If you have leftover cooked casarecce pasta, refrigerate it and use it up within 5-7 days. This is because the broccolini rabe will start to go bad. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers for 2 reasons. Frozen casarecce will loose it’s shape and become mushy when re-heated. Additionally, the broccolini rabe will lose its firm texture and become soggy.
Store the leftovers in an oven-safe meal-prep container. I use these (affiliate link) meal-prep containers I got from Amazon. This way, you just need to remove the lid and place the pasta in a 250°F (121°C) oven. The heat time will depend on the amount of leftovers, but 15 minutes should be enough.
This recipe can be made ahead, but in separate parts. Make the pasta sauce ahead and refrigerate it for 5-7 days. Or, freeze it in ice cube trays and use it on the day of cooking.
If you want to know how to cook casarecce pasta beforehand, here’s my honest advice. I have seen people make the pasta ahead of time, but for me, it has never worked. Cooked pasta always gets clumped up and tears when trying to separate. So, I always advise people to make the pasta on the day needed. If pre-making pasta works for you, then pre-make it and do share your secret with me.
Broccolini rabe can be cooked ahead of time, but no more than 2 days before. Cooked rabe will lose all its flavor and texture after 2 days.
Just like my Pizza sauce recipe and my roasted broccoli, this casarecce pasta has tons of garlic cloves!
❓ Quick Answers for Your Casarecce Pasta Recipe
It is not gluten-free because it’s made with durum wheat. However, Garafalo does make a gluten-free version. Try it and let me know what you think.
– Farfalle pasta (AKA butterfly pasta)
– Pappardelle
– Scialatielli
– Boccoli
– Malloreddus
Basically, any light pasta will work in this recipe. There are many short-cut pasta shapes that you can try in this recipe. Comment below with the pasta you chose for this recipe.
To get al-dente pasta, cook casarecce pasta in boiling water (do not cover the pot with a lid) for about 9 minutes. To get tender pasta, cook it for 11 minutes. When learning how to cook casarecce pasta, al dente is always the goal.
It all depends on the type of butter used. Use dairy-free butter to make it vegan or use grass-fed butter to make it vegetarian. The first time I made it for this blog, I used vegan butter. However, I am now using grass-fed butter because it’s much better for my body. Vegan butter can cause inflammation, depending on the ingredients used to make it.
Regular broccoli is the most common variety. It’s a dense, tree-like vegetable with thick stems and tight florets that most of us grew up eating. Broccolini, a hybrid of regular broccoli and Chinese kale, is sweeter and more tender with thinner stems. Broccolini rabe, however, is not related to broccoli at all. It’s actually part of the turnip and radish family with a strong spicy flavor. Shocking, isn’t it? Even the leaves are edible!
I have never been able to keep pasta from sticking together when made ahead. So, I don’t recommend it. However, if you can prevent it from clumping when stored, let me know. See my make-ahead and storage tips section for more information.
My meat-eating readers have told me that they love adding chicken to this pasta. They have even served it as a side dish to grilled salmon. As a vegetarian, I’ve got us covered too! I love adding edamame or white beans for a protein boost. You can also top it with tofu crumbles or serve a side of air fryer tempeh with it. Chime in below and comment with the protein used.
💌 Sharing is caring
Did you make this casarecce pasta recipe? I want to hear all about it! Drop a comment below and tell me which protein you added or which pasta substitute you tried. I read every single one. If this twisted Sicilian pasta won you over, please give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating, and it will mean the world to this little blog! And if you’re feeling generous, share it on Facebook, Pinterest, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Such a hearty and tasty pasta recipe for any occasion, thanks for sharing this wonderful idea!
Thank you! I am happy you enjoyed it.
Loved the simplicity and delicious flavors in this amazing casarecce pasta dish!
Thank you! I love the easiness of this pasta.
Thank you. This casarecce pasta recipe is such a great reminder that simple ingredients can still feel really special. The herb butter sauce with fresh basil, parsley, and mint sounds incredibly fragrant, and the idea of using panko instead of parmesan is a nice twist for added crunch.
Thank you so much Langtang. I am so happy to hear that. We love this pasta recipe.
This shows vegan sauce but calls for butter – ? just curious.
You can use vegan or regular butter.
I am always a sucker for a pasta dish and the casarecce is one of my favorites. Usually I serve it with a bolognese but this light garlic butter sauce is perfect for it!! It was so delicious I didn’t have any leftovers for lunch the next day!
Thank you, Jennifer
Such an amazing pasta recipe!! I loved ll of the flavors!!
Thank you, Michaela
This looks nice and easy. I’ll be able to make it even on busy weeknights! And talk about delicious!
Thank you, Debi
I’m confused about these instructions. It says to add the herbs to a food processor but then later it says to add leaves to the pasta bowl. Which leaves?
Broccoli leaves.
Broccolini leaves! Nevermind ????????I’m using regular broccoli just because I already had some that needed cooking so I confused myself! Instructions are perfect the way they are.
You can omit the leaves and follow the rest of the recipe. The leaves are there to add a little extra nutrition and they do had some flavor to the pasta. Thanks for making it with regular broccoli. How did it turn out?
Aren’t we luck that broccoli and Chinese broccoli married into delicious broccolini! Like you, I love it raw, but making a delicious sauce is so cleaver and tasty!
Thank you, Sandra
This looks like it’s going to be my new favorite pasta! I love all of the flavors and textures you have in this lovely meal!
Thank you, Deb.
I love the idea of using panko as a sub for parmesan. This casarecce looks incredible!!
Thank you, Kylee. I appreciate it very much.
This looks so good and I agree the panko adds so much to the recipe. I recently discovered vegan butter and now I am sold!
Thank you so much, Kathy. 🙂
I love everything about this delicious comfort food dish! I buy more broccoli rabe than broccoli and can’t wait to try this new recipe for it!
Thank you, Julie.
I’ll be craving this one for a while! YUM.
Thank you, Ashley 🙂
This is my kind of pasta dish right here! Love broccolini!
Thank you, Megan. 🙂