Broccoli and Bow Tie Pasta

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

Serves 4

We had a very busy day and I didn't have time to do much cooking, so I used what I had on hand to make this very satisfying dish.  You could certainly substitute your favorite vegetables for the broccoli (carrots, sugar snap peas, asparagus come to mind.)  You could also make this even healthier by using whole wheat pasta of any shape.  You could make this meatless by omitting the anchovies and serving it with a crisp salad for a great Meatless Monday meal. See how versatile this dish is?!  I even made this using one pot, so not a lot of clean up. You can find all the ingredients at Lost River Market & Deli.

4 cups bow tie pasta

Kosher salt

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small pieces (When I'm lazy, I just slice the broccoli so that I have bite-sized pieces.)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 anchovy fillets (optional, especially if you wish to make this for Meatless Monday)

½ teaspoon or more red pepper flakes

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup or so of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Lemon wedges, optional

Fill a large pot with water.  Bring to a boil.  Add 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt and the pasta.  Cook pasta according to the package directions, adding the broccoli to the pot about 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done.  When the pasta is cooked al dente and the broccoli is crisp tender and bright green, drain and leave in the colander to set aside.

In the same pot, add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic, anchovies (if using) and red pepper flakes.  Stir until fragrant. (This just takes a minute.  Don’t allow the garlic to burn or it will taste bitter.)

Remove from heat and add the pasta/broccoli mixture to the pot and toss.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Add the cheese and toss.  If you wish, squeeze lemon wedges over the whole dish and serve.