Pasta Broccoli

Ingredients

• 1 large head of broccoli
• 1 lb pasta (I like penne or spaghetti for this one)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Chili flakes (optional for spice)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a big pot of water to a boil and salt it like the sea.

2. 2

   While it heats up, trim the end of the stems off the broccoli and leave whole so it’s easy to work with.

3. 3

   Once the water boils, drop in the broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes, until it starts to get tender.

4. 4

   Use tongs or a slotted spoon to pull it out and set it aside (keep the water).

5. 5

   Add the pasta to that same pot with a little more salt and cook until al dente (before you drain it, scoop out about a cup of the starchy pasta water).

6. 6

   Drain the pasta.

7. 7

   Place the pot back over low heat, drizzle in the olive oil, and toss in the smashed garlic (let the garlic sizzle gently; don’t let it brown! Pull it off the heat if needed to not burn the garlic).

8. 8

   You can add chili flakes here if you like a little spice.

9. 9

   Chop up the cooked broccoli and toss it into the pot with the garlic oil.

10. 10

    Stir it around (add another drizzle of olive oil if it looks dry).

11. 11

    Add the pasta, a splash of pasta water, and the Parmesan.

12. 12

    Toss it all together until it’s creamy, glossy, and the cheese is melted into everything.

13. 13

    Serve it right away with extra Parm on top and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.