Slow Food Cape Town CSA

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: BROCCOLI PASTA, TWO WAYS

Posted by Kate | Filed under Recipes, Winter

A double recipe, to get you started! Until recently I was never a big broccoli fan, but that was more my fault than broccoli’s – I just wasn’t thinking much beyond steaming or cheesy béchamel. The second recipe is a bit of a spin on broccoli cheese, though, since that rather passé pairing still makes flavour-sense.

I haven’t given exact amounts, but a medium head of broccoli and 200g pasta is usually ample for two hungry people. Both these dishes are perfect for busy week nights, since they can be assembled in the time it takes the pasta to cook.

BROCCOLI WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS
The anchovy isn’t too strong in this recipe. It gives a background savouriness, rather than a terrible fishiness to the finished dish.

1 head broccoli
pasta
olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 anchovy fillet, from jar or tin
red chilli flakes (optional)
hard cheese (gruyere, grana padano, parmesan, etc.)
chopped parsley

Break the broccoli into small florets. Cook until fork tender in boiling salted water (I usually just pop them in with the pasta, and fish them out with a slotted spoon when done). Cook the pasta, too, and drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

While this is happening, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium low heat, and add the garlic and the anchovy. Bash the anchovy with a wooden spoon while it sizzles, so it breaks up. If using red chilli flakes, add now. Add the drained broccoli, and more olive oil, if necessary. Saute for a minute, breaking up half of the florets to a chunky pesto-ish consistency.

Taste for seasoning (the anchovy makes it quite salty, usually) and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta to the pan, with a small splash of its cooking water. Stir over low heat until the olive oil and broken down broccoli cling to the pasta. Remove from the heat and add the parsley and some grated or shaved cheese to the pan, and stir just to combine. Serve immediately with a restrained drizzle of olive oil.

BROCCOLI (BLUE) CHEESE PASTA
This is a bit more sophisticated – and much easier! – than traditional broccoli cheese. I like to use gorgonzola, but am not above using odds and ends from my cheese drawer – taleggio, creamy chevre, even camembert.

pasta
1 head broccoli
a small knob of butter
a soft blue cheese or a combination of strong, soft cheeses

Cook the pasta and the broccoli in boiling, salted water (as above, you can do them separately or use the same pot). Heat your serving bowl in a low oven, or in a sink of hot, hot water (dry well before using). Drain the broccoli and pasta when they are done, reserving a cupful of the pasta water, and put immediately in the warm bowl with the butter. Crumble or slice over the cheese, and stir slowly but thoroughly, so that the cheese melts (some small remaining chunks are fine), forming a creamy sauce. If it seems dry, add the pasta water, splash by tiny splash. Add generous lashings of ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

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Comments (1) | June 30th, 2009