Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce

 

I used to associate pasta dishes with rich creamy sauces and a lot of cheese, which didn't really agree with my Asian palate, until I discover recipes featuring many light, healthy and delicious ways of preparing them, like this one here. The world of pasta is fascinating as I research and explore the different types, their most enticing shapes, and how they are paired with various sauces and ingredients.  Orecchiette pasta look like little ears.  Cooked 'al dente' in the same pot of boiling water where the broccoli has been, they pick up all the goodness of the green sauce, prepared simply by chopping up and frying the parboiled vegetable with a little olive oil, garlic and dried red pepper flakes.  A sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese binds everything together.  The crispy slices of prosciutto are optional but they add a nice burst of savoury flavour and interest to the dish.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of broccoli (400g / 14oz)
• 150g / 5½oz orecchiette or other short pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 thin slices of prosciutto (optional)

METHOD

1. Place slices of prosciutto in a large frying pan with a few drop of oil.  Cook over medium-low heat until they begin to shrivel and turn golden, about a minute.  Turn over to crisp the other side for another 30 second.  Remove and set aside.
2. Cut broccoli into small florets and slice the stem thinly.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender but still green.  Take the broccoli out with a slotted spoon and place them on a large chopping board to cool.
4. In the same pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until 'al dente'.  Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
5. Roughly chop the cooked broccoli, leaving a few florets whole.
6. Heat oil in the same frying pan you used to crisp the prosciutto.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes, the chopped broccoli and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the pasta water to make a sauce.
7. Transfer the drained pasta into the frying pan to mix with the broccoli sauce.  Add Parmesan cheese and a few turn of the ground black pepper.  Give everything a final toss.
8. Serve with crispy prosciutto slices on top.