Description
Penne Broccoli is sautéed garlic and spice in extra virgin olive oil with a pasta of your choice. It’s both easy and very delicious! How can such a simple recipe using just a few simple ingredients taste this good? It does and that's why the people of Apulgia in the Italian region love it so much from generation to generation.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Pasta
- 250 grams Broccoli
- 2 Cloves fresh garlic
- 3 tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Calabrese spice
- 1/2 tsp Salt and pepper seasoning
- 1/2 cup Pecorino cheese or Parmesan
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in boiling salted water.
- Clean the broccoli: Cut the florets off the stem and cut them into smaller broccoli florets maintaining the shape. Chop the stems into small pieces.
- Prep the garlic: Thinly slice or chop the garlic.
- Cook the broccoli: Heat the oil in a non stick pan on low to medium heat and add the garlic. Stir, cooking for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the Calabrese spice and mix for 10 seconds.
- Transfer the pasta (as it's almost done cooking) to the pan along with the pasta water which you add in two parts and mix in between.
- Remove from the heat, add the cheese, and extract drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a tiny sprinkle of Calabrese spice and serve
Notes
Cooking pasta and broccoli in one pot.
Another way to this recipe is boiling the water first and cooking the broccoli then adding the pasta to cook in the same water. Still, keeping the pasta/broccoli water for later.
What's the best way to cook broccoli for this recipe?
This recipe uses both ways, steaming the broccoli and adding it to boiling water.
Which is the best pasta to use for pasta broccoli?
You can use any pasta for this recipe. Our go to for pasta broccoli is penne and orecchiette.
What if I don't have Calabrese spice?
The authentic recipe (region dependent) uses dried chili flakes. (Hanging chilies to dry to use in winter is normal for most Italian households). This recipe calls for a Calabrian flavor using this spice.
Is there a variation to this penne broccoli?
Yes! You can add fresh chilies, garlic, anchovies and broccoli with pasta. See more pasta recipes here.
Here are some tips for this penne broccoli recipe.
Cooking The Pasta
Try to cook the pasta until a minute or so before it's done as in 'al dente' which is 'to the tooth' it should still have some bite in. Overcooked pasta will make the entire recipe mushy which is the direct opposite to what we are after here.
Save The Pasta or Broccoli Water
Reserving some of the water always helps in creating a little (or a lot) of creamy texture without over-loading the recipe in cream or oil. Keep a little in a container in the fridge for tomorrows left-overs when you need to reheat!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian