This dish is a variation of a recipe by Alastair Little found on the BBC’s Food website and came about for two reasons. The first is that I really do need to eat more vegetables and the second is that I was given some purple sprouting broccoli by my friend Joy, who, in turn had been given it by her neighbour who grew it. Joy decided to share her bounty (along with three sticks of rhubarb) with me.
The variation is the inclusion of red onion and cherry tomatoes which don’t appear in Mr Little’s recipe.
What you’ll need for two people as a main course is:
- 1 red onion peeled and sliced
- 8oz/225gr purple sprouting broccoli
- 20 cherry tomatoes cut in halves
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 fresh chilli.
- 1 small tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained*
- Good quality olive oil
- 8oz/225gr pasta – choose between fusilli, penne rigate or, as I used in my recipe, tortiglioni
- Grated parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
- Salt and pepper
* If, like my niece Natalie, you don’t care for anchovies, or you wish to make the dish purely a veggie one omit the anchovies – the dish will be just as tasty. If you do like anchovies but don’t want to use the whole tin use half instead.
What you’ll need to do:
- Put on a large pan of salted water to boil.
- Whilst the pasta water is coming to the boil prepare the broccoli by trimming the outer leaves and woody stalks. Once done cut the brocoli into small pieces about 1cm/½.inch
- Chop the garlic, chilli and anchovies finely. I used my Cuisinart Mini Processor which does the job very well. NB When it comes to prepping the chilli, if you like your dish fiery then chop the chilli whole including the seeds (hottest bit). If you prefer a milder dish them slice the chilli in half and scrape away the seeds and discard then chop the chilli.
- Once the pasta water has boiled add the pasta to the water, stir and cook according to taste or to the time suggested on the packet.
- In the meantime take a large sauté pan or frying pan with high sides and place on the heat and slop in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced red onion and cook over a low heat (you do not want the onions to brown or burn but be translucent) stirring from time to time.
- Add the garlic/chilli/anchovy mix and stir coating the onions. Then add the broccoli allowing it to cook a little then add the tomatoes and stir together.
- At this point check the seasoning – the anchovies may be salty enough and all you need do is add a little ground pepper (black or white) if you wish.
- Add a little (small ladle-full) of the pasta water to the brocoli/onion mix and let it bubble.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and tip into the sauté pan and mix well.
- If you wish, at this stage shower the contents of the sauté pan with the grated cheese (the amount of which is down to your taste) stirring so that it all gets well coated and you are ready to serve.
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