Family Favorite Broccoli Pasta

The pasta dish that sustained my pickiest eater for all of his childhood and is still his most requested meal. Broccoli cooked longer and slower is so darn good, you’ll want to eat right out of the pot with a spoon . Don’t skip the anchovies, I beg you. They melt away but add incredible flavor.

Recipe:

2-3 heads of broccoli, stalks removed and florets separated
Olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 an onion, finely diced
8 anchovy fillets , in oil, from sustainable sources
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound/ 450 g dried orecchiette

Steam the broccoli florets for 2 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the onion until softened. Add the anchovies and their oil and cook until they virtually melt away. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the broccoli florets to the onion mixture and a generous glug of olive oil.
Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the broccoli mixture for at least 15 minutes, adding more oil if necessary. Use a potato masher to mash the broccoli a little.
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions on the box. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta . Add pasta to the broccoli mixture along with the mozzarella cheese. Stir everything together with a large spoon to combine, adding pasta water to loosen the sauce. Season with salt if needed, black pepper and red pepper flakes, if you want a little spice. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese and serve with additional cheese on the side.