Winter is the season for cruciferous veggies – the family of vegetables that includes cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and broccoli. Our favorite to pair with pasta? Broccoli! Sautéed or steamed, it’s soft, savory and perfect as a cream sauce for dinner! The only decision that remains is which pasta to serve with the broccoli sauce. Our selection? Cavatelli.
Cavatelli with broccoli is actually a typical recipe from the South – well-known for its striking simplicity and goodness. Check out the recipe below, complete with ingredients and cooking methods. And for some extra tips on making this dish (for even more flavor), browse the gallery above!
Cavatelli with broccoli
Ingredients:
4 ½ oz double-ground semolina flour
4 ½ oz flour
11 oz broccoli
½ glass of water
2 anchovies in oil
1 clove garlic
3 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Mix the two flours and create a well in the center of the mound on a pastry board. Pour the water and oil in the middle and work the dough until you have a smooth dough. Form a ball and let rest in a plastic bag for about half an hour.
Then roll out the dough for a rectangle with a height of about 1 cm. Using a knife, cut thick strips and roll each one up until the pasta resembles cylindrical strings. Cut these into pieces about one inch thick. Press each one with your forefinger and middle finger to curl the edges and create an almost concave shape.
Now it's time to cook the broccoli. Clean them first and cut florets into quarters and chop the core into cubes as you boil water on the stove. Once your water comes to a boil, transfer both the broccoli and the fresh cavatelli to cook for about 10 minutes on the stove.
Separately, boil the broccoli cubes and transfer them to a blender with one ladle of cooking water, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to make the broccoli cream.
Meanwhile, sautée the garlic and anchovies in a pan. Once the cavatelli and broccoli are cooked, transfer them to the pan with the garlic and anchovies.
Continue to cook and add the broccoli cream at the end. Stir in pecorino cheese and serve hot.