Pasta in Tomatoey Broccoli Sauce

Broccoli sauce prior to mashing

Broccoli is the vegetable that everyone loves to hate.  When cooked badly, it has both an unpleasant texture and taste.  No wonder former President George H. W. Bush doesn’t like the stuff.  But broccoli has a lot to recommend it.  A member of the cabbage family, it is packed with nutrients, being high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and anti-cancer properties.  And much more importantly, when properly prepared, it can be quite tasty!

There are many pasta and broccoli recipes, but this one is different and results in a very savory dish of pasta in a thick, tomatoey, broccoli sauce.  The spices are a suggestion only – feel free to substitute your own favorites.

First we’re going to cook the broccoli, and then the pasta, in the same water. That way the vegetable nutrients aren’t  completely tossed down the drain.  In addition, a cup of this water will be added to the sauce.

The broccoli, after cooking in the pasta pot, will be transferred to a deep skillet and cooked in olive oil, thoroughly mashed down, then combined with tomato paste and the cup of reserved water to form a thick sauce.

Finally, the pasta is cooked in the pasta pot (same water as the broccoli) until not quite done, drained through a colander, then combined in the broccoli sauce and cooked to completion. 

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli, cut up (florets cut and stems thinly sliced)

4 tbs. EVOO

Pinch of turmeric

¼ tsp. red hot pepper flakes

Fresh grated black pepper to taste

1 cup of water (reserved from pot)

1 can 6 oz. tomato paste

3 cloves garlic thinly sliced

3/4 pounds (about 3/4 box) small pasta (ziti, penne, etc.)

Fresh grated cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano preferred)

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add broccoli and cook 10-15 minutes until all parts are tender (particularly the stem chunks). 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet (or Dutch oven).  Add spices (turmeric, hot pepper flakes, black pepper).

When broccoli is tender, remove pot from heat, then use a slotted spoon or strainer to move the broccoli to the skillet.  Reserve a cup of the broccoli water.

Cook the broccoli in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and mashing until hot and well cooked into a thick sauce.  Add the can of tomato paste and cup of reserved water – mix and stir well.  Stir in garlic slices a few moments before adding the pasta. Add water as necessary if sauce is too thick.

Meanwhile, bring the vegetable water back to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (not quite done).  Drain pasta and add it to the broccoli sauce.  Stir well to coat, then cover and continue cooking until pasta is done.

Salt to taste.

Serve with a topping of fresh grated hard cheese and a nice glass of Chianti.  Enjoy!

SHORTCUT - you may replace the tomato paste and cup of water with 2 cups of prepared tomato sauce.  My favorite is Classico Traditional Tomato & Basil.

Whole wheat ziti in tomatoey broccoli sauce.

Sicilian frutti di mare

Sicilians are blessed with intense sunshine, rich soil, blue skies, and the limitless Mediterranean.  It’s not a surprise, then, that tomatoes, herbs, pasta, and sea foods are often combined into a delicious yet affordable feast.  Tomatoes, garlic, hot red peppers, and parsley are endemic to every backyard garden.  The central highlands ripple with waves of windblown, durum  wheat, resulting in fresh pasta treasured for its hearty flavor and nutrition.   And the fishing ports of Sicily, representing one quarter of the entire Italian fleet, bring in daily bounties of shrimp, sardines, anchovies, mollusks, tuna, squid, and many other varieties of sea fish.  It is a veritable seafood heaven.

This recipe is fairly straightforward using commonly available ingredients.  While not completely faithful to the indigenous Sicilian version, it is damned close.  Certainly, experiment with the bounty of any fresh seafood that is available in your area. 

I prefer using whole canned plum tomatoes (especially in winter, better than greenhouse “fresh”).  But if you’re in a big hurry, use chef’s cut or crushed tomatoes and save some preparation time.

This recipe is designed to serve two, with second helpings, and leftovers, and may be easily doubled. 

Date warning - note that the garlic is added near the end to boost the fresh garlic taste. 

Ingredients

3-4 Tbs. EVOO

¼ tsp. hot red pepper flakes (or more, or less, to taste)

Fresh ground black pepper

Pinch ground turmeric

4 anchovy strips, chopped fine

½ sweet red pepper, seeded, chopped

½ yellow onion, chopped

28oz. can whole plum tomatoes with juice

12 littleneck clams, shells soaked,  scrubbed, and rinsed several times

12 bay scallops, rinsed

12 medium shrimp, peeled and rinsed

10 oz. whole wheat pasta (spaghetti or linguine to your preference)

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine

3-4 Tbs. fresh Italian parsley, rinsed and chopped
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Heat the olive oil to medium in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.  Add the hot red pepper flakes, black pepper, turmeric, and anchovies, then stir in onions and sweet red peppers and sauté until reduced and browned.  Continue to stir, blending in the anchovies.  Do not burn the onions. Reduce the heat a bit if necessary.

In the meantime, pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl.  With freshly washed hands and no jewelry, reach into the bowl and eviscerate the stem end of each tomato, removing the bitter stem and any residual skin.  When all tomatoes have been plucked, crush them thoroughly between your fingers, then add tomatoes and their juices to the skillet.  Play like it’s kindergarten.

Readjust heat to medium and cook this mixture down, stirring frequently.  You may want to place a screen atop the pot to keep splatters to a minimum.  A cover placed askew to allow air circulation but catch splatters also works.

In a separate large pot, bring salted pasta water to a rapid boil.  Midway, add the scrubbed clams to the sauce and cover -- they may need to cook up to 20 minutes to fully open.  (Note - you are adding the clams to the sauce, not the pasta water.  This is a timing direction).

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook just short of package directions (about 7 minutes).  It will be finished cooking in the sauce.

With 6 minutes to go, add the scallops and chopped garlic to the sauce, stir well, and cover.  Then, with 3 minutes to go, add the shrimp, stir, and cover.

When pasta is done al dente, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta through a colander.  Keep an eye on the sauce, make sure that the clams have opened and that the shrimp turned pink.  If not, let them cook, covered, several more minutes until they have opened.  Remove and discard any clams that do not open.

Add the drained pasta and ½ cup pasta water to the sauce, toss well, top with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately topped with a few grinds of Parmigiano Reggiano.

A robust red wine such as the Sicilian classic, Nero D’Avola, is wonderful with this dish.  Fresh, hot, peasant bread and a simple green salad finish off the perfect meal.

Buon appetitio!

Portuguese Kale Soup (Caldo Verde)

Caldo verde (green soup) is a traditional Portuguese soup based on olive oil, potatoes and kale.  The many variations may contain onions, beans, chorizo (sausage) and other ingredients, but this recipe is the simple version that you might imagine fishermen and farmers enjoying to economically sustain their labors.  It is unexpected that the base is water rather than stock, but the resulting soup is thick and satisfying. 

Proper preparation requires some time to cook down the potatoes, creating a surprisingly creamy broth.  But rest assured, while the total time can approach two hours, active preparation time is 30 minutes or less.

The key to this dish is to slice the potatoes thinly so that they cook thoroughly and break down more quickly.  In addition, the green vegetable (most commonly kale, but could also be collard greens or cabbage) must be sliced very thin.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to roll up several kale leaves tightly like a cigar, then slice thinly crosswise.  You may include the tender portion of the stems, but discard the tougher lower portions.  Total cooking time is gauged to ensure that the stem portions are completely cooked and tender. 

Finally, olive oil is a major taste ingredient so a fruity, delicious extra virgin variety is highly desirable.

When served, it is customary to dip thick slices of fresh, whole grain bread into the soup, leaving the remaining broth a scrumptious, thick mixture of kale, olive oil, and potatoes. 

This is a very satisfying dish that can serve as a hearty appetizer or an entire meal.  It is traditionally accompanied by a robust red wine.

2 ½ lbs. potatoes (3-4 medium), peeled and sliced thin

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cups water

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

¼ tsp. hot red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 lb. (one bunch) of kale, washed and sliced thin, tough stems discarded

Put potato slices, oil, and water into a large soup pot, bring to boil. Stir to avoid sticking. Reduce heat to low boil, add garlic, rosemary, red pepper, black pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently with a wire whisk to break up potatoes, about 30-45 minutes. Liquid will become thick as potatoes dissolve.

Prepare kale. Wash and drain. Stack several leaves at a time, rolling into a tight “cigar”, then slice thinly crosswise to where stems become tough. Discard tough stems. Place kale into soup, stir, cover, and continue cooking until stem portions are tender.

Serve with fresh green salad, hard crust bread, and a robust, dry red wine.  Enjoy! 

Easy homemade hummus

Hummus is a Mediterranean staple, a dip made from mashed, cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and spices.  Extremely versatile, hummus may be consumed as a dip with toasted pita chips, used as the base of a salad wrap, or simply licked from your fingers. 

Classic hummus also includes tahini, a sesame paste.  You may certainly add that to this recipe, or substitute some sesame oil, but it is fine without either as well.  And instead of cooking the garbanzo beans from scratch, let's just use a can for quick preparation.

Hummus is rich in protein and dietary fiber, easy to prepare, and is tasty to boot.  A hard proposition to beat!

It is so easy to make that you may never buy it again.  Be adventurous with different spices.

Ingredients:

1 can 15 oz. garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained
2-3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 large lemon, squeezed
1 tsp. fresh ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 cup tahini or 1 tsp. sesame oil or neither
Spices to taste (turmeric, hot red pepper, etc.)

Method:

Place drained garbanzo beans in your favorite food processor or blender.  Add all other ingredients.  Blend until pureed and well mixed.

That's it!

Note:  My favorite implement for this purpose is the Girmi TR30.  A small, powerful food processor, the Girmi perfectly contains and blends the ingredients for this dish, and is very easy to clean up.

Balela – chick pea and black bean salad

A quick, simple, and nutritious salad, Balela is a Middle Eastern salad with chick peas, black beans, parsley, and spices. There are variations that use mint and other flavorings, but this one is pretty basic. Feel free to experiment. The salad is very healthy with plenty of protein and fiber from the beans. Serve with good rough peasant bread and red wine. Boun appetitio!

 

 

Ingredients

1 - 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained

2 - ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ chopped red onion

½ sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1 tsp. fresh ground cumin

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Juice of one lemon (or 2 tbs. of bottled lemon juice)

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley

Salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Allow flavors to mingle for 15-30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Serves four as a side dish, two as a main course.  May be easily doubled.

Note: best served at room temperature but will keep for days in the refrigerator.

Gently fried Brussels sprouts

Gently fried sliced Brussels sprouts

Many of us learned early to hate Brussels sprouts. Usually boiled and overcooked either by Mom or the school cafeteria, the result was bland, odoriferous, and just generally unappetizing. This is extremely unfortunate because these tiny cabbages are very nutritious and don’t have to taste like medicine.

Brussels sprouts, in the same family as cabbage and broccoli, top the list of vegetables rich in glucosinolates, a class of phytonutrient known as a cancer preventative.  In addition, studies have shown that Brussels sprouts offers DNA protection (“Inhibition of oxidative DNA damage in vitro by extracts of brussels sprouts”, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, August 2000).  Enough of the health benefits – the main reason to eat them is that they can be really tasty!

Here is the secret… simply slice the sprouts and gently fry in olive oil.  How simple is that?

Ingredients

10 oz. fresh Brussels sprouts (12 -16 sprouts depending on size)

2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Prepare the Brussels sprouts by rinsing in cold water and allowing to drain.  Slice each sprout thinly cross-wise, discarding the base.

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.   Add garlic and fry gently – do not allow to burn or crisp.  Add sliced sprouts, stir to coat with oil, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until sprouts are cooked through.  Stir occasionally and remove lid for last few minutes.

That’s all there is to it.  You may add spices if you like – I put a pinch of turmeric, a few hot red pepper flakes, and some black pepper into the EVOO before adding the garlic and sprouts.  I’ve seen other recipes that add a little balsamic vinegar at the end.  Be creative and have fun!

Slicing the sprouts

Pasta con aglio e broccoli

Here is a very simple (molto semplice) recipe that blends the flavors of fresh garlic with broccoli and seasoned olive oil. Served topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and hard crust bread, this is a simple, satisfying, but nutritious meal.  Add to the advantages that not many pots need be cleaned up afterward, the total effort expended is minimal in exchange for a substantial reward.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil (EVOO)

Few flakes hot red pepper to taste

¼ tsp. ground turmeric

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Water and salt

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 package whole-wheat rotini pasta (14-16 oz.) – or your favorite pasta

1 head of broccoli, flowerets separated and stalk sliced into chunks

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Method:

In a small pan, add olive oil (EVOO), hot pepper flakes, turmeric, and freshly grated black pepper.  Heat to medium-low and allow flavors to mingle as the main course is prepared.

Fill a large pasta pot with several quarts of salted water.  Separate garlic cloves, peel and toss into the pasta pot.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil.

Cut the broccoli head into flowerets and slice stalks into small chunks so that all will cook in the same timeframe. 

When pasta pot is roiling, add rotini (or other pasta) and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Add broccoli and cook for another 4-5 minutes until pasta is al dente and broccoli is done.

Pour pasta/broccoli mixture through a colander to strain.  Place into a serving bowl, top with seasoned EVOO, and toss well.  Serve on individual plates and top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Nutritious and delicious, this dish almost counts as a one-pot meal except for the additional small pan used to season the olive oil.  Taste and nutrition are excellent, and clean-up is a snap. 

Serve with fresh, hard crust bread and a nice robust red wine (e.g., Chianti) for maximum effect. 

Buon appetitio!