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Pasta with Broccoli Romanesco

Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 09:20AM
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Ingredients

1 small-medium head of broccoli romanesco (about 2 cups of trimmed florets)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
200g dried spaghetti
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese

Method

Boil the broccoli in a pot of salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and use the lime-green water (it looks like Italian soda) to cook the pasta.

Heat the oil gently in a pan (not a non-stick one) over low heat.  Add the red pepper flakes and smashed cloves of garlic, and heat for a few minutes until you can REALLY smell the garlic.  Then add the broccoli, stir to coat with oil, season liberally with salt and pepper, and cover.  Let the broccoli cook gently in the pepper-garlic infused oil until very tender, another 5 minutes or so.  Mash up the broccoli and the softened pieces of garlic with a fork (this is why you didn't use a non-stick pan).

When pasta is done, drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.  Put the pasta into the pan with the broccoli mixture, and toss to coat.  Add some extra pasta water if the sauce is too dry.

Serve with copious amounts of parmesan cheese grated over the top and then tossed into the pasta, where it well melt and become all savory and gooey and delicious.

Romanesco Broccoli and Rigatoni

Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 09:32AM
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Ingredients

  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 pound rigatoni pasta
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 head romanesco broccoli or broccolini, cut into florets
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2/3 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls), plus more to pass around the table
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a couple of ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water.

  2. While the pasta is working, in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the wine for 1 minute, then the chicken stock. Add the broccoli, lemon peel, rosemary and crushed red pepper; season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

  3. In a serving bowl, toss the pasta, reserved pasta cooking water, cooked vegetables, cheese and nuts for a minute. Season with salt and black pepper and serve, passing extra cheese at the table.