Rosaria’s Orecchiette con Broccoli

For restaurateur Luca Iovine, a personal favorite is a simple, hearty plate of his mother Rosa’s Orecchiette con Broccoli, finished with Parmigiano Reggiano and a handful of toasted pignoli. Even today, the aroma of tender broccoli cooking down with plenty of olive oil and garlic takes Luca back to childhood and to his mom’s sneaky, delicious way of getting vegetables onto his plate!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 2 large heads broccoli, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt (for water and to taste)
• 3 tablespoons fresh fall harvest olive oil (plus extra for finishing)
• 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, to taste
• 2/3 cup pasta cooking water (as needed)
• 2-3 tablespoons butter (optional, for a creamier finish)
• 1/4 cup freshly toasted pignoli
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions:

Bring large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook broccoli for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Remove, let cool slightly, then chop into small chunks.

In large pan over medium heat, warm generous pour of olive oil. Add smashed garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned and fragrant.

Add chopped broccoli to pan. Season with salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until broccoli is well-coated and becomes soft. Meanwhile, cook orecchiette in broccoli water until al dente.

During last couple of minutes of pasta cooking, ladle about 1 cup of pasta water into broccoli pan and let it simmer briefly.

Drain pasta, transfer it to pan, and toss vigorously until sauce thickens and clings to orecchiette. Add a couple of knobs of butter, if desired, for creamier finish, and toss again.

Plate and finish with drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and sprinkle of toasted pignoli.

About Broccoli

For generations, resourceful Old Country contadini (peasants) supplemented humble meals with wild, vitamin-rich vegetables from the cabbage family, including kale, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Although emerald green broccoli had long been a staple in Italian-American cooking, it remained largely unknown beyond Little Italy until enterprising Italian growers introduced it to American supermarkets in the 1950s.