Recipe: Pasta with Broccoli (Orecchiette ai Broccoli)

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI (ORECCHIETTE AI BROCCOLI)

1 pound fresh broccoli
Salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
6 anchovy fillets
1 chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound orecchiette pasta, uncooked

Wash the broccoli and cut away the toughest part of the stalks.

Boil in 4 quarts of lightly salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and reserve the cooking water. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Put the oil, garlic, anchovies and chili pepper into a frying pan and gently brown. Discard the garlic and pepper. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the reserved boiling water. Drain the pasta and turn it into the skillet with the broccoli mixture. Toss well and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at once.

Makes 6 servings as a pasta or first-course dish.
Source: Chianti Family Cooking: Classic Recipes from the Heart of Tuscany by Giovanna Folonari Ruffino