Do you ever have those days where you just look into the fridge & the pantry & think…

“What the heck am I gonna cook toady?”

About a year and a half ago, I was having one of those days when I was faced with little to no choice from my fridge or my pantry.

Broccoli was the only veggie…

And it didn’t look that great having sat in the fridge for a few days too long…

And in terms of staples, it was either rice or pasta.

So I went for the pasta!

“How do I make broccoli & pasta sexy?” I pondered.

Chilli!

You can always count on chili to fire things up!!

And good olive oil, the best salt & cracked pepper are always on hand in our kitchen.

They were sure to add some authentic Italian flavour.

Luckily foe me (and this dish) there was also a solitary lemon and…

Yes!!!

A little aged Grana Padano was in the back of the dairy cabinet that was going to round off this dish perfectly.

I wasn’t sure how it was gonna turn out…

But with buon fortuna (good fortune) on my side…

Chilli broccoli & pasta became a regular on our menus.

The dish was a hit, so this week…

With locally grown Victorian broccoli the star this week…

And its origins Italian…

We thought what better way to showcase broccoli than with our accidental, yet delightful & sexy chilli broccoli farfalle.

The slight heat from the chili flakes and the addition of zesty lemon really add a punch of flavour to the broccoli…

Which rather than being a side dish, now became the star of the show!

Saltiness from the grated grana Padano offers another dimension lifting our new hero… the broccoli!

You don’t have to use farfalle but if you go for a different pasta…

We reckon you stick with something that can capture the bits of broccoli & other yummy goodness.

I know it’s winter, but a glass of woody chardonnay or even a nice rose works really well with this dish…

But who are we to tell you not to drink a nice glass of red if that’s how you wanna do it!

This is an inexpensive & simple dish to prepare that could have a place in any top Italian trattoria.

We’d love to see your take on it so be sure to post a pic or let us know how your version turned out by commenting.

Buon appetito!

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g farfalle pack of pasta
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 lemon
2 anchovies, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Chili flakes

Method

In a large pot of salted water, boil the broccoli florets until tender. Drain and once cooled a little, chop into smaller pieces.

Cook pasta until al dente and reserve 4 ladles of the water before draining.

In a large pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for about one minute.

Add the broccoli and season with chili flakes and salt & pepper then add 3 ladles of the water.

Bring to the boil breaking up the pieces with your wooden spoon to create a chunky sauce (not a puree), then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Add the pasta & half the Parmesan and combine well. You may need to add some extra water.

Remove from heat & serve hot, drizzle with olive oil, a little squeeze of lemon and garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Buon Appetito!