What the crap was I thinking posting a tofu recipe as my first blogobite?! Now THIS is a recipe to start a fricken blog with. It is creamy and broccoli-ish and unexpectedly spicy and really wonderful to mash around in your mouth. It's also a wonderful way to get someone who doesn't really love broccoli to give my favorite itty-bitty tree vegetable a try.
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Parm
5 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil (I know, it's a lot--but this isn't fricken Jenny Craig.com)
2 (10-oz) packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup water
1/4-1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb dried orecchiette (or whatever smallish pasta you have)
Cook garlic in olive oil in a big pot with a lid over medium heat for about a minute. Add broccoli, water, pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until most of the water is absorbed and the broccoli looks slightly browned and kind of mushy. That should take about 12-15 minutes.
Now if you're a fancy-pants and got the orecchiette like I did you should cook them in nice salty boiling water while your broccoli is cooking and they should get done right about the same time. If you aren't a fancy-pants just make sure your pasta is al dente. Take a cup and reserve some of the pasta water and drain the rest.
Stir the parm into the broccoli and smoosh it around and then add the pasta. If it's kind of dry and sticky add some of the pasta water. If not, put it on a plate and do some masticating.
By the way, this recipe makes a load of pasta. As in, about enough for five people--so consider yourself warned. And if you can't find the boxes of chopped broccoli, which I couldn't, just use frozen florets and chop them up once they get soft. I used scissors and it was really fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment