Broccoli & Orecchiette

this past holiday i put aside some extra time to test out a few new culinary dishes to mix things up. this broccoli orecchiette one is slightly adapted (based on what i had) from Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes. i will say, it's an excellent cookbook once you get the hang of it. i do promise to write-up a full review after I have tested a few more dishes from it. This orecchiette pasta meal is super easy, so great for busy evenings. but what i like even more about it is the use of the broccoli. aside from steaming it up, or chopping down into a salad, i'm always at a loss for creativity when it comes to broccoli, and i'm always looking for new ways to include more vegetables in my meals. This recipe will feed about 4 people, so serve i recommend serving it up with a simple kale salad on the side.

The What:

• 1 bag of orecchiette pasta
• 2 heads of broccoli
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• the juice from one lemon 
• 1 tbsp red pepper chili flakes (more can be added before eating)
• olive oil

The How:

de-stem and wash your 2 heads of broccoli. if you like to "de-hair or de-vain" the stems and eat them like i do, then clean then up, chop and throw them and one head of broccoli into a food processor or blender. add in two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and a glug of olive oil. next blend that all up into what looks like a paste and transfer it to a pan. heat it up on medium heat and add your lemon juice and chili flakes to the mix. allow that to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. next put a large pot water on the stove and bring it to a boil. while that heats chop up your other head of broccoli into small chunks and throw it into the pan, allowing it to steam and soften with your mixture. once the pot of boiling water is ready, salt the water and throw in that pasta. allow it to cook for the recommended time as identified on the package. once the pasta is done, strain it and throw it back in the pot. next take your pan of broccoli goodness and your left over parmesan and throw that over the pasta in the pot. mix it all together and serve it up! at this point eaters can add more parmesan, black pepper or more chili flakes to the bowl! enjoy!

**Pair this with a nice dry white wine like a Pino Grigo from Italy!