Broccoli and Penne Rigati

Broccoli and Penne Rigati
Broccoli and Penne Rigati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broccoli and Penne Rigati

Such a simple dish, yet it is a wonderful, delicious meal.   Easy to prepare just a few ingredients and like magic a gourmet meal appears.

First step is to prepare “Perfect Broccoli”, the second is to season it and add it pasta, and that’s it.

Perfect Broccoli

I like to use smaller heads with thinner stalks The stems are easier to peel and cook.  The first step is to cut the head off and trim it into small florets.  I have a belgique pot with a steamer and a lid that works great for this recipe.  Place the florets into the steamer set it over the pot with a few inches of water in it and bring to a boil.  As soon as the water begins to steam let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes then take it off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  You now have perfectly cooked broccoli, if your not going to use it right away place it in a ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking.

I take the stems and using a paring knife cut the dried bottoms off each stem then pull the tough outer layer off.  You should end up with a thin stick of creamy colored broccoli stem, which I cut into small pieces and hard boil in a small pan until fork tender.  Once cooked I add to the florets.

Broccoli and Penne Rigati Ingredients

  1. 2-4 small heads of broccoli
  2. 3 cloves of garlic sliced
  3. 1 Tbs pepper flakes
  4. Olive oil
  5. 1 pound penne rigati
  6. 1 cup reserved pasta water

Directions for Broccoli with Penne Rigati

I do this recipe all in the same pot it makes clean up easy.

First prepare perfect broccoli and set aside.  

Next take the pot with enough salted water and cook the penne  until it’s done to your preference , before draining take about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.

Place the pot back onto a medium hot burner allow the heat to dry any water in the pot.  Add about 5 Tbs of Olive oil and once hot add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for about two minutes (don’t brown the garlic), and once the garlic is lightly cooked add the broccoli to the pan and stir to combine and cover the broccoli with the oil.

Now add in the pasta another 3-4 Tbs of Olive oil and stir to combine.  If the pasta appears to dry and not coated with sauce add some of the pasta water and stir until you all the ingredients are coated.

Serve with Parmesan on the side.  

That’s it simple and delicious.

 

Here are a few items to help with this recipe:
Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

 

The Official Taste Tester
The Official Taste Tester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No meat “Borrring”, and just like G. Bush senior I’m not that fond of broccoli either!  3 paws for the effort.

 

Capture 3a

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

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Broccoli and Penne Rigati
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Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
55 min
Ingredients
  1. 2-4 small heads of broccoli
  2. 3 cloves of garlic sliced
  3. 1 Tbs pepper flakes
  4. Olive oil
  5. 1 pound penne rigati
  6. 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
  1. Perfect Broccoli
  2. I like to use smaller heads with thinner stalks The stems are easier to peel and cook. The first step is to cut the head off and trim it into small florets. I have a belgique pot with a steamer and a lid that works great for this recipe. Place the florets into the steamer set it over the pot with a few inches of water in it and bring to a boil. As soon as the water begins to steam let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes then take it off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes. You now have perfectly cooked broccoli, if your not going to use it right away place it in a ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking.
  3. I take the stems and using a paring knife cut the dried bottoms off each stem then pull the tough outer layer off. You should end up with a thin stick of creamy colored broccoli stem, which I cut into small pieces and hard boil in a small pan until fork tender. Once cooked I add to the florets.
  4. First prepare perfect broccoli and set aside.
  5. Next take the pot with enough salted water and cook the penne to your desired doneness. before draining take about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.
  6. Place the pot back onto a medium hot burner allow the heat to dry any water in the pot. Add about 5 Tbs of Olive oil and once hot add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for about two minutes (don't brown the garlic), and once the garlic is lightly cooked add the broccoli to the pan and stir to combine and cover the broccoli with the oil.
  7. Now add in the pasta another 3-4 Tbs of Olive oil and stir to combine. If the pasta appears to dry and not coated with sauce add some of the pasta water and stir until you all the ingredients are coated.
  8. Serve with Parmesan on the side.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 

 

Savory Bread Pudding

Savory Bread Pudding
Savory Bread Pudding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savory Bread Pudding

My son came to visit and we needed different dinners every night.   So once he went back up north, I was inundated with an abundance of leftovers.  My favorite pass time is to try and figure out different combinations to use up leftovers and this was a winner on two counts, it used up a lot of stuff and it tasted great.

I had a tupperware of steamed broccoli, another of roasted carrots, in another about a cup and a half of chicken gravy, a small baguette of garlic bread,some leftover slices of sharp cheddar cheese, in another a small amount of sour cream.

I cubed the garlic bread and placed it into a large bowl, added the broccoli and carrots and gravy and added about  1 Tbs of rosemary and 1 Tbs of sage mixed this up well and then added about 1 1/2 cups of milk into which I scrambled 4 eggs to form a custard.  Combined everything well.  Placed everything into  a 9 X 9 inch baking pan that was greased with vegetable spray, put the cheddar cheese slices on top, and placed in a 350° oven for about 45 minutes until the custard was set.  Once set I took it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes, then served with sour cream.

Not exactly gourmet but it certainly ended up as a easy and tasty way to use up the leftovers.  Hopefully this will give someone out there ideas of their own.  Substitute creme fraiche for sour cream,add whatever you think will go together well and with a few herbs and spices perk it up for a great dinner.

 

The Official Taste Tester
The Official Taste Tester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do love carrots, the green stuff not so sure but it was covered with chicken gravy and custard, yummy!  I personally would have hidden a nice beef bone inside but then I’m not the chef.  5 paws even with out the meat.

 

IMG

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved