Pasta with broccoli delicious
Pasta with broccoli is a simple first course to make, tasty, but above all extremely healthy, perfect for appreciating “in purity” one of the best vegetables that winter gives us. This recipe involves boiling the broccoli in the same water in which you will cook the pasta, then sautéing everything with a few anchovy fillets and chilli pepper, et voilà!
If you want stronger flavours, try lasagna with broccoli, bacon and provola. If you are looking for something lighter, this broccoli and leek cream soup is just the thing for you!
Ingredients for 4 people
- Pasta short320 g
- Broccoli 600 g
- Garlic 1 clove
- Fresh spicy chili pepper 1
- Anchovies 8 fillets
- Extra virgin olive oil 100 g
- Salt to taste
- Parmigiano Reggiano to taste
Allergens
Fish
Milk
Procedure
Wash the broccoli under cold running water to remove impurities; use a small knife to remove the leathery lower part of the stem and divide them into florets of the same size. If you have any doubts you can follow my tutorial on how to clean broccoli and cauliflower.
Boil the florets for a few minutes in boiling salted water, leaving them still a little crunchy, then drain them (reserving a little of the cooking water) and place them in a bowl full of cold water and ice: in this way you will stop the cooking and obtain bright green vegetables.
Once cold, take half of it, add 40 g of oil and with the help of an immersion blender obtain a smooth, lump-free cream, adding a little broccoli cooking water; salt it and keep it aside.
Chop the garlic clove and the chilli pepper and brown them in a large pan over a low heat together with 60 g of oil; as soon as they are well browned, add the anchovy fillets and let them melt completely over a low heat. Add the remaining broccoli florets and sauté until cooked, leaving them crunchy.
Boil the pasta in boiling salted water, keeping it al dente and, when there are a couple of minutes left until the end of cooking, drain it and sauté it in the pan with the broccoli florets and a little cooking water.
When the pasta is cooked to perfection, turn off the heat, add the broccoli cream, the grated cheese and plate your pasta and broccoli.
Notes & advice
*The broccoli-based seasoning goes very well with any type of pasta, just choose your favorite and combine it with the sauce!
*There are different varieties of broccoli, from Calabrian to Sicilian. Choose your favorite variety and prepare your dressing!
*Dose the chili pepper according to your taste: you can also replace it with a spoonful of ‘nduja.
Variations of the recipe
The combination of pasta and vegetables is one of my favourites. Choose the pasta shape you want and combine it with a simple but tasty sauce based on the vegetables you like most! Pasta allo Scarpariello, with courgettes, with aubergines or with artichokes? The choice is yours!
A lover of vegetables and tradition? Don’t miss the orecchiette with turnip greens or the trofie with pesto with potatoes and green beans.
Conservation
I recommend you eat freshly prepared broccoli pasta! If there is any leftover, you can keep it in the fridge for a day in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing it.
