Pasta with Broccoli Sauce
Sometimes you read a recipe that just seems so strange, but for some reason you try it anyway. I honestly have no idea why I ever tried cooking broccoli for about an hour, but it’s so good! It seems so counterintuitive when, as a general rule, our food culture has shifted away from boiling vegetables until they are mushy. But the good thing is that by cooking it for a long time you can use the stems that are usually thrown away, so it is an economical recipe.
I hadn’t made it in forever, but I got a bunch of organic broccoli in my Misfits Market box, and decided to see if it was as good as I remembered. If I’m not mistaken, in the past I’ve served it mixed with goat cheese as a spread, and even puréed into a dip. But this time I thought I’d use it as a pasta sauce, almost like a broccoli “pesto.”
The idea for a long-cooked broccoli comes from a recipe in one of the Chez Panisse cookbooks, but I’ve made some changes. It can be made vegetarian very easily by omitting the anchovy, and without any Parmesan, it’s vegan!
I know it goes against everything you may think about cooking vegetables, but if you’re looking for something different to do with broccoli, give it a try!
Pasta with Broccoli “Pesto”
Serves 2
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling at the end
½ small onion, sliced thinly
1 anchovy, salt-packed, rinsed and filleted, or 1 anchovy fillet, oil-packed (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 large garlic clove, sliced thinly
1 pound broccoli, florets separated; stems peeled and cut into ⅛-¼ inch slices
1 cup water
Zest of one lemon; either use a grater, or use a vegetable peeler and cut the strips into thin slivers
8 ounces dried pasta, any shape
1½ Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving
Heat the olive oil in a 2-3 inch deep sauté pan with a lid or a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the onion, anchovy (if using), and salt, and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onions begin to show some color.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add all the broccoil and mix in the oil for a minute. Add the water and lemon zest, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 1 hour. Check frequently to make sure it maintains a simmer, and to make sure all the liquid has not evaporated (if so, add more water).
About halfway through the cooking time, put a pot of salted water on to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, timing it to be done right around when the broccoli is done. Once you toss the pasta into the water, stir the lemon juice and the Parmesan into the broccoli.
Reserve some pasta water in case you need it. If you are cooking the broccoli in a pan that can also hold the pasta, move the pasta pot right next to the sauté pan and remove the pasta directly from the water into the sauté pan with the broccoli, using tongs for a strand pasta, or a spider or strainer for a shape. If the broccoli is in a saucepan, drain the pasta, return to the pasta pot, and add the broccoli sauce. Mix the pasta and sauce, adding a bit of pasta water if it seems too dry.
Plate the pasta, drizzle with olive oil, and pass grated Parmesan at the table.