Some days only pasta will do, because when it comes to comfort food, pasta rules. It’s super simple to cook my favorite macaroni (stir into boiling water, cook eight minutes, drain), toss in some microwaved marinara sauce from a jar. Just add a sprinkling of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and I’m in business. Today was a broccoli and pasta day. Easy, fast and oh, so satisfying, it’s what’s for dinner after a long, challenging day. I found this recipe a million years ago in a wedding present cookbook, Foods of Italy. Giuliano Buglialli was a celebrity chef before the Food Network ever existed, no wait…before cable even existed. Wow.
Pasta Rules
To feed four to six people (this dish is great leftover) here’s what you do…Gather together:
- Two or three heads of broccoli, cut up
- About 1/3 cup olive oil more if you like
- One pound dried linguine
- Three cloves garlic, chopped
- Basil, fresh is best, dried is fine
- Grated pasta cheese, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, whatever…
Bring a big pot of water to boil for the pasta. As that heats up, in a little sauce pan, warm up the olive oil with the garlic and basil until the garlic turns golden brown. Set that aside. Back to the big pot of boiling water… Snap the linguine in half and throw it in the boiling water. Let it cook for about five minutes, stirring once in a while.
Add the broccoli, stir it in. Let the broccoli and pasta cook together for about three minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain it all through a colander. Do not rinse!
Put the broccoli pasta mixture in a big bowl, add the olive oil and toss. You can throw in some roasted pignoli nuts to fancy it up or add red pepper flakes if you like to spice it up. Sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese and mange!
Your Film Counselor Suggests: Babette’s Feast!
