red or green?: Broccoli with Garlic & Chile, Puglian Style

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Broccoli with Garlic & Chile, Puglian Style

broccoli with orecchiette pasta is a very popular dish in puglia, italy. i reimagined the recipe by eliminating the pasta and bulking up on the broccoli. easy, delicious, spicy with a strong garlic bite; you can serve as a side dish, top pizza, stir into scrambled eggs or....forget the reimagining part and toss with cooked pasta.

i like to keep a bit of stem attached to the broccoli florets...about 1/2-3/4 inch. this will mean you have to cook the broccoli a bit longer, but don't overcook. it should be al dente (to the tooth) with a bit of resistance...like when you cook pasta. if you add to other dishes like pizza you may want to chop the broccoli into smaller pieces after cooking.

Broccoli with Garlic & Chile, Puglian Style
1-2 heads broccoli (about 1 lb total), cut into florets with about 1/2 inch of stem attached
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, divided
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese for topping (optional)

fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. add a handful of salt and the broccoli florets. cook for 7-10 minutes – or until a sharp knife can easily pierce a broccoli stalk. remove from pot with a spider strainer and set aside in medium bowl.

while broccoli is cooking, add 1 tbsp olive oil to large skillet. add garlic and stir for 1 minute. do not let garlic burn. add cooked broccoli to skillet. add remaining olive oil, 1 tsp red pepper flakes and a pinch each salt and pepper. toss until broccoli is coated and cook for an additional 2 minutes. taste and add additional red pepper flakes if you want a spicier dish. adjust seasonings if needed. serve with cheese if desired.