Broccoli or Brocolli?

I can never remember how to spell the stupid thing, but regardless, broccoli (that is the correct spelling) is actually great with pasta. I quite like broccoli and eat it a fair bit, but I'm always looking for a new way to serve it. This pasta is great as I usually have all the ingredients lying about and it is also Lenten, which is handy when Easter is almost here.

Broccoli Pasta (Printable Recipe)
adapted from Stephanie's Broccoli as a Sauce for Pasta, pg 201
Serves 2

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
olive oil (or anchovy oil)
200g pasta spirals
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I use ones lurking in the freezer)
2 cloves garlic
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
ground black pepper
handful of pitted olives (optional)
chilli flakes (optional)

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add some salt. Simmer broccoli in water for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Strain broccoli out of water into a colander, keeping the water the broccoli was cooked in.

Bring water back to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, warm some olive oil in a small frypan and brown the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

In the frypan, add another spoonful of oil and gently fry the garlic with the anchovies. Add olives and chilli if using.

Drain the pasta into the colander, pouring the pasta water over the broccoli to warm it up again. Give it a shake to get all the water out. Tip the broccoli and pasta back into the empty saucepan and add the garlic mix. Add a little extra oil and the pepper and mix well. Serve in bowls topped with the breadcrumbs. I'm usually hungry and feel like it's quicker to mix the breadcrumbs in with everything else. It tastes good either way.



Hubby's words of wisdom: "Needs more anchovies and garlic." Mind you, he says this every time and I think we now put about 4 cloves of garlic in it for the two of us and about 10 anchovies! I also like to use the oil from the anchovy jar to up the anchovy flavour even more. Luckily, we both like garlic and anchovies. I don't think this would make a great dinner for a first date, but it's sweet and salty however you eat it.