Purple Sprouting Broccoli is probably my favourite vegetable and i buy it almost daily from my local greengrocers when it is in season. The best i have ever had came from a stall at Stoke Newington Farmers Market in London, and is definitely one of the things I miss about not living there so far. I have tried to grow it on my allotment but without much success so far. This is from ” River Cafe Cook Book Two”.
Ingredients
- 900 g purple sprouting broccoli flower heads and small leaves only
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 small red onions peeled and finely sliced
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 plump garlic cloves peeled and sliced
- 16 salted anchovy fillets optional , but good if you eat fish
- 150 g pine nuts toasted
- 175 g green olives stoned and halved
- 400 g Penne
- 200 g Pecorino cheese grated
- 8 tbsps roughly torn fresh basil
Servings:
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli heads into small pieces and blanch with the leaves for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving the blanching water.
- Heat 2 tbsps of the olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan and gently fry the onion until golden. Add the garlic and anchovy fillets , and stir to break up the anchovies- they will melt into a sauce.
- Add 1 ladleful of the blanching water and the broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes then add the pine nuts and olive pieces and continue to cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes to combine the flavours. Season.
- Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente then drain. Add to the sauce along with the basil, Pecorino and remaining olive oil. Serve.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe