Serving
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Pasta with Broccoli
Italy - Sicily   Pasta chi Vruoccoli
Serves
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 main  
**
45 min  
Prep		 Pasta with broccoli is very popular in Italy. This Sicilian recipe shows the influence of North Africa, resulting from a hundred years the Arab occupation.





1
3/4
5
2
7
2
1-1/2
3/4
2
1
1/2
1/4 		#
oz
oz

oz
t
c
oz
T

t
t 		Broccoli (1)
Raisins
Onions
Anchovy filets (2)
Pasta (3)
Tomato Paste
Water, pasta
Pine Nuts (4)
Olive Oil
Saffron pinch
Salt
Pepper
    Prep   (15 min)
  1. Set RAISINS soaking in warm water - they'll need at least 1/2 hour.
  2. Cut BROCCOLI into small florets. If you wish to use tender parts of stems (from about where the branches start on up) they can be cut into lengthwise slivers.
  3. Slice ONIONS about 1/8 inch thick and chop fairly small.
  4. Chop ANCHOVY FILET small.
    5. Run   (30 min)
  5. Steam Broccoli Florets until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Hold aside.
  6. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook Pasta the usual way - but only until slightly undercooked. Drain, keeping 1-1/2 cups of the water. Tumble pasta with a few drops of oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
    7. a cup of the water, and set Aside.
  7. Heat Olive Oil and fry Onions stirring until light golden, then stir in Anchovy Fillets and fry stirring another minute.
  8. Stir in Tomato Paste and Water. Drain Raisins and stir in along with Pine Nuts. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes.
  9. Stir in Saffron (not too much, it's powerful) then Pasta. Simmer for a few minutues until pasta is fully cooked.
  10. Stir in Broccoli, cover and simmer a couple minutes until fully warmed.
  11. Serve hot, as is or with a sprinkling of gratings of soft Romano cheese.
NOTES:
  1. Broccoli:   Weight is for whole heads with short stems, which will yield about 10 ounces of florets. In Italy they boil the broccoli in the water the pasta will be boiled in, but in California we prefer to keep the flavor and vitamins in the broccoli. For details see my Broccoli page.
  2. Anchovies:   Most canned anchovies are from Morocco - and are of inferior quality. Use Italian anchovies if possible - see my European Anchovy page for details.
  3. Pasta:   Any short, tubular pasta will do. The photo shows Gamelli, one of my favorites.
  4. Pine Nuts:   Pine nuts can most easily be found in markets serving an Italian community, but also often in markets serving Korean communities. If you don't have them, pistachios are the best substitute, with chopped raw cashews next. Almonds don't work well at all.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch
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