Pasta and Broccoli in Olive Oil with Anchovies and Almonds

This recipe comes with a story. About a year ago an Australian Chef was cooking on a television cooking show. He was making Pasta with Broccoli in Olive Oil. What caught my eye was the fact that he added a few anchovies to the olive oil and sort of let them melt into the oil. He swore the anchovies would not overpower the taste of the sauce but would add richness and depth to the Broccoli and Olive Oil. To make a long story short – my oldest daughter and her boyfriend were joining us for dinner and that seemed to be a perfect time to try this recipe. Needless to say it was a great success, served it with garlic bread and a simple green salad and it has been a favorite meal ever since. By the way, the original recipe had zucchini and additional herbs. This recipe is quick and simple. 

HINT: up until about 2 months ago I always discarded the thick broccoli stems, found out one day that my youngest daughter and my youngest sister both loved the stems – so now they are peeled, sliced or chopped and used.

[Rating - easy]
[Servings: 4 servings as a main course or 6 servings as a side dish]
Preparation time:
15 minutes to cut and chop. 20 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:

Half package of spaghetti or any long pasta [of course, you can use any type of pasta you prefer, I like to stab a piece of broccoli and then wind the pasta around my fork]

1 medium size head of broccoli (about 2½ cups of florets and about 1 cup stem, peeled, and cut into small pieces)

2½ cups of Broccoli florets

1 cup broccoli of stems - trimmed and chopped 

4-6 cloves of garlic - sliced

4-6 tablespoons Olive oil

1 tablespoon of Chili flavored oil (optional)

2-4 small anchovies

2-3 tablespoons of almonds slivers

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Kosher salt

Grated Parmesan Reggio or Peccorino Cheese

(top) salt and black pepper; olive oil; anchovies and chili oil; sliced garlic(bottom) Pasta

Preparation:

·  Cook the pasta as directed [cook until al dente]

·  Gently melt the anchovies in the oil [see below]

Olive Oil - anchovies just added

Olive Oil with melting anchovies

· Add the garlic and the broccoli stems

· Stir occasionally for about 5 to 8 minutes until they begin to soften

·  Add the broccoli florets

·  When broccoli starts to soften
·  Add the black pepper and the slivered almonds 

Almonds slivers

·   Stir together for about 10 minutes 
  [or until the broccoli florets start to soften]

·   Add the pasta into the pan with the broccoli mixture – mix well

·   Place on serving dish

Almost ready

 ·  Generously add grated cheese and sprinkle with kosher salt to taste

Grate this over the Pasta and Broccoli for the finishing touch
{Thank you Peter and Loredana for this thoughtful gift}

Pasta and Broccoli in Olive Oil with Anchovies and Almonds

Serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

Note: a few grains of kosher salt enhances the flavors without making this dish too salty; the almonds give the recipe a bit of a crunch; the chili flavored oil adds a whisper of a tang while the anchovies add depth to the sauce – without overpowering the flavor of the Broccoli. If you are lactose intolerant then leave out the cheese and add a few more grains of kosher salt.