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Serves 4 as a starter
or 2 as a main
160g conchiglie rigate
1 head Romanesco broccoli (400g)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large salted anchovy fillet, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
a pinch of crushed dried chilli flakes (1/2 a teaspoon if you want it hot)
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
a little grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, or a few spoons of great oil, to serve
Also good with this recipe
casarecce, farfalle, farfalle tonde, linguine, bavette and trenette, orecchiette , spaghettini, trofie, spaccatelle, spaghetti, tortiglioni |
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BROCCOLI ROMANESCO
Romanesco broccoli |
This is one of many dishes where you could cook the pasta and broccoli together (see orecchiette with cime di rapa and farfalle with broccoli). Indeed, it would seem ideal, as both take the same time to cook. Here I diverge from my usual principle of keeping everything as simple as possible – I prefer the broccoli to have had some time to marinate in olive oil before I make the sauce. This dish is one with a hundred variations — addition of pine nuts and/or raisins, serving with breadcrumbs or pecorino or Parmesan, to anchovy or not to…
Cut the Romanesco broccoli into florets, discarding any dark leaves but keeping the tiny paler ones, which look so pretty and taste just as nice. You should end up with 300g prepared weight. Boil in well-salted water (as for pasta, with 12g salt per litre) for 10-14 minutes, until so soft it melts in your mouth – nearly falling apart. Drain well, spread out on a plate and drizzle with half the oil. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes before you put the pasta on…
5 minutes before the pasta is done, put the anchovy, garlic and chilli in a cold frying pan with the remaining oil and cook for 3-4 minutes over a very low heat, until the anchovy has completely disintegrated (the force of the back of a spoon might help with this). Add the broccoli, increase the heat and sauté for a minute or two (don’t let the broccoli colour at all – if it threatens to, add a splash of water). Add three-quarters of the parsley, then the drained pasta and a little of its cooking water. Sauté together for a minute before serving with the remaining parsley on top, and a drizzle of oil and a little grated cheese if you like.
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