Recipe for Casarecce with Broccoli & Anchovies

Casarecce with broccoli & anchovies

Casarecce.jpg

Ingredients:

  • 450g broccoli

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 1 fresh red chili pepper

  • 40g breadcrumbs

  • 3 salted anchovies (or 6 anchovies in oil)

  • 1 tablespoon garlic oil

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 50g pine nuts

  • 30g sultanas

  • 400g dried casarecce or penne

  • 60 each of fresh and aged caciocavallo (or pecorino) cheese

Directions:

  1. Break the broccoli into florets, peel and finely chop the garlic and deseed and finely chop the chili.

  2. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan over a medium heat, until they are quite a dark golden brown. Take care not to burn them.

  3. If using salted anchovies, rinse and dry them. Run your thumb gently along the backbone to release it, and you should be able to easily pull it out. If using anchovies in oil, drain them.

  4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, put in the broccoli and cook until just tender. Lift out (retaining the cooking water for the pasta), and put into some iced water to stop the cooking and keep the bright green color. Drain the broccoli from its iced water and pat dry.

  5. Heat the garlic oil in a pan, add the anchovies and stir with a wooden spoon to 'melt' them, taking care not to let them burn. Add the toasted crumbs and set aside.

  6. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic, chili and broccoli, and stir until heated through. Season, add the pine nuts and sultanas, and cook for a few more minutes.

  7. Meanwhile, bring the broccoli's cooking water back to the boil, add the pasta and cook for about a minute less than the time given on the packet.

  8. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and add to the pan of broccoli, tossing together well for another minute and adding a little cooking water to loosen.

  9. Grate and scatter over the two cheeses, along with the reserved anchovies and the breadcrumbs.