-
1
In a large pot, heat the olive oil until it shimmers.
-
2
Add the garlic, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes and stir to coat with the oil.
-
3
Allow to simmer until the garlic smells really good and the pine nuts are starting to brown.
-
4
Add some salt.
-
5
When the pine nuts and garlic and red pepper flakes are all cooking happily together, add the broccoli to the pot (you may need to pour in a bit more oil).
-
6
Stir vigorously to coat the florets with the oil and other ingredients.
-
7
Pour in the can of chicken broth, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer.
-
8
This is the hard part: youve always heard that you need to cook broccoli just a little, right?
-
9
Leaving it crisp?
-
10
Forget that.
-
11
You are going to cook the broccoli in the chicken broth until it is soft and breaks apart.
-
12
It takes about half an hour, depending on how much broccoli you used and how finely you cut it up.
-
13
While the broccoli is cooking, heat a pot of salted water to boiling and cook the pasta.
-
14
You want it VERY al dente still with almost a stiffness to it.
-
15
It needs that body to stand up to the broccoli mixture.
-
16
Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking.
-
17
When the broccoli is soft, taste it and adjust the seasonings.
-
18
For some reason this dish requires more salting than youd think necessary.
-
19
Dump in the pasta and stir vigorously to coat all of the pasta with the lovely broccoli and garlic and pine nut goodness.
-
20
Then dump in a cup and a half of grated Romano cheese (more or less, I like lots of cheese) and stir it up again.
-
21
Ladle into bowls and serve.
-
22
Garnish with more pine nuts if you like.
-
23
IMPORTANT: Parmesan cheese does not work in this dish.
-
24
For some reason the tastes dont meld nearly as well.
-
25
It needs to be Romano, preferably fresh grated.
-
26
For vegetarians, the Swansons Vegetable broth works well in lieu of chicken broth.
-
27
It doesnt taste quite as good to me, though.
