Spicy Orecchiette with Broccoli
We Also Love
1 of 3
- Comments()
Everyday Food, September 2008
- Prep Time 30 minutes
- Total Time 30 minutes
- Yield Serves 4
Add to Shopping List
Ingredients
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 12 ounces orecchiette or other short pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
-
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
-
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until broccoli begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until water has evaporated and broccoli is crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.
-
To pasta in pot, add broccoli mixture, Parmesan (reserving some for later), and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve sprinkled with remaining Parmesan.
I enjoy this recipe as a main dish or as a side dish to chicken parm. It's fast and super simple.
This is one of my favorite recipes! To make things even easier (and for a year-round quick dinner recipe), I use high-quality frozen broccoli like Birds Eye Steamfresh.
A little bland, I might add more red pepper flakes, lemon juice and chicken next time. Other than that, it was really good and like the previous poster, my husband liked it too (he's tough to please with pasta).
This recipe is great! My husband really liked it. I added sauteed mushrooms which gave it a great flavor.