Archive

ITALIAN RECIPES

Broccoli: Not Quite the Prince of Winter

Orecchiette with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 pound (500 g) broccoli florets
1/4 pound (100 g) salted ricotta, grated (if you can substitute it with Pecorino Romano).
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A small bunch parsley, minced
1/2 cup grated cheese, either all Parmigiano or half Parmigiano and half Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup olive oil
Pepper to taste (salt should not be necessary)
1 pound (500 g) orecchiette or other short firm-walled pasta, e.g. farfalle (butterflies or bow ties)

Preparation:

Set a pot of salted water to boil.
Meanwhile, wash the broccoli florets and break them up into fairly small pieces. When the water comes to a boil, throw in the pasta, stir it, and add the broccoli.
While the pasta and broccoli cook, mince the parsley and the garlic, and sauté them gently in the oil, in a large skillet. Do not let the garlic brown.

When the pasta is still a minute or so shy of being done, drain it and transfer the pasta-broccoli mixture to the skillet (don't shake all the water out of it while it's in the colander).
Stir in the ricotta, season the pasta with pepper to taste, and continue cooking over high heat until the pasta's done, stirring vigorously. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish, dust it with the grated Parmigiano, and serve.

A wine? Castel del Monte Bianco would be nice here.
Serves 4.

Tomatoey Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds (1 k) broccoli
1 half-pound (225 g) plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and blended (canned tomatoes will be fine)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/5 cup (50 ml) olive oil
A half teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Set a fairly large pot of water to boil. While it's heating, clean the broccoli, trimming the florets and leaves from the stalk and dicing the tenderer heart of the stalk (discard the end if it's tough).

When the water boils salt it and add the diced stalk; when it resumes boiling boil the stalk for three minutes, and then add the florets and leaves.
Boil the broccoli for three minutes more, after the pot comes back to a boil, and then remove everything to a colander with a strainer or slotted spoon (if you are also making pasta, use the flavored water to cook the pasta).

Sauté the garlic cloves in the olive oil in a large saucepan until they are nicely browned. Remove and discard them. Stir the blended tomatoes into the oil, cook a minute or two, and check seasoning.

Add the broccoli and the marjoram, cover, and simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes, by which time the broccoli will be tender and the sauce pleasantly thick. Serve at once.
Serves 4.

Sicilian-Style Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 g) broccoli
1/4 pound (110 g) pitted black olives, chopped
A small hot pepper, crumbled or not as you prefer, or more to taste
5 tablespoons olive oil
2/5 cup dry white wine
2 ounces (60 g) salty pecorino romano or salted ricotta, in shavings

Preparation:

Set a pot of water to boil.
Wash the broccoli and cut the florets and tender leaves free (use the thick stems for something else). Cook the florets and leaves in salted boiling water for three minutes, and then remove them with a slotted spoon (if you are serving the broccoli with pasta cook the pasta in this flavored water).

Heat the oil in a broad fairly deep skillet, and add the broccoli, olives and hot pepper. Sprinkle the wine over the broccoli, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.
Remove the hot pepper if you left it whole, sprinkle the shaved cheese over the broccoli, cover for another minute to let the heat soften the cheese, and serve.
Serves 4.

Broccoli with Bread Crumbs & Anchovies

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 g) broccoli
2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, boned (if need be) and crumbled
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Set a pot of water to boil.
While it's heating, pick over the broccoli, removing damaged leaves and tough stalks, and then cut the florets free and cube the stalks.
When the water boils, salt it, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 10-12 minutes over a gentle flame. Remove the cooked broccoli to a warmed serving dish with a slotted spoon or a strainer, and keep it warm. You will also need to keep a few tablespoons of the hot water handy.

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan, and when they are hot sauté the crushed clove and the crumbled anchovies. Cook over a gentle flame until the garlic begins to brown. Remove it and discard it, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the flavored oil.

When the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted add the broccoli (keep the serving dish warm) and simmer over a gentle flame, covered, for about 10 minutes.
When the time is up, sprinkle the grated cheese over the broccoli, together with the reserved broccoli water. Heat for a few seconds more, covered, transfer the broccoli to the serving dish, and serve at once.
Serves 4.

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 g) broccoli florets
2 cups (100 g) freshly grated Parmigiano
1/4 pound (100 g) Fontina or well-drained Mozzarella, shredded
A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1/3 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (50 g) flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Make a béchamel sauce with 1/4 cup of the butter, the milk, and the flour (see instructions if need be).
Rinse the broccoli florets and cut the stalks into quarter-inch rounds. Steam the florets and rounds until tender but not soft, about 15 minutes.

While the florets are steaming, butter a baking dish large enough to contain the broccoli, and preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Remove the broccoli from the steamer, and separate the larger, tougher pieces from the tenderer ones.

Blend the tougher pieces and combine them with the béchamel sauce, working the grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg into the mixture. Check seasoning.
Put the broccoli in the baking pan, pour the béchamel sauce over it, and top it with the shredded fontina. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes and serve.
A wine? A Lugana or a Valcalepio Bianco.

Buon appetito!

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