This is what I have come to label as a ‘default’ pasta, together with matriciana, arrabbiata and aglio, oglio e peperoncino (carbonara and cacio e pepe take a bit of thinking, for instance, and hence can’t qualify). It is a pasta sauce that somehow just comes together, naturally – it tastes good in a hearty fashion and hits the spot at lunchtime when you want to hush your appetite but not overeat. Owing to its inherent rich and jubilant ingredients (sausage meat, pecorino romano cheese (parmesan if you prefer), garlic, evoo and not forgetting the broccolo romano itself (‘romanesco’ some call it), it is a complete meal in itself. If you can’t get hold of broccolo romano, use whatever will substitute best: e.g. rapini, broccoli rabe, or even Sicilian style broccoli.
This is one of my favourite pasta brands, it comes from Abbruzzo. A good pasta does indeed make all the difference … but that can be the topic for another post.
I was using 500g of pasta and chose to use 3 Italian sausages, 1 large broccolo romano head and about 3 cloves of garlic (1 per sausage sort of thing). By all means use less or more garlic, or none at all: it is a question of personal preference.
Skin the sausages and set aside …
Grate some pecorino romano cheese (or parmesan). I hate grating and always try and trap some obliging soul to do it for me. If you by any chance grate more than you require, place the leftovers in the freezer – it will keep better.
After washing the broccoli, start unravelling it. It is a nice thing to keep as many florets as intact as possible – they look so pretty – but do not be alarmed about cutting the larger ones in half. Also, cut up the white part of the broccolo.
Here is a closer look …
Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and when the salt has dissolved, add the broccoli pieces. The broccolo has to simmer for at least 15 minutes. We are not after a stir-fry and it is quite all right to ‘overcook’ the broccoli, indeed it is an imperative. Marcella Hazan wrote about this modern tendency of ours to ‘undercook’ vegetables because we think it is a healthier or trendier option when in point of fact, the vegetable is ‘done’ precisely when it is ‘done’ … when it ‘gives’ and releases the sweetness of its flavour without falling apart.
The pasta will cook in this very same water, a few minutes later. Think of your cooking water as a kind of stock — it adds flavour to the final dish.
While the broccoli pieces are simmering, we can forge ahead with cooking the garlic. I added a little bit of chilli.
When the garlic turns golden, add the sausage meat and cook until done. Sprinkle some salt, and pepper too if you like it.
When the broccoli is ready, use a sieve to remove it from the water …
And drain it straight away into the saucepan with the sausage.
Take your time, this transfer is done in batches …
Turn the heat up and combine all the ingredients, making sure that there is a little bit of liquid left, at all times (the sauce will taste ‘orrible if it goes too dry). Again, taste to check whether it might need a little bit more salt.
If you do not have a sieve that’s large enough to drain the pasta a little at a time, as shown above, what you do is drain the pasta all in one go with a colander … but do be sure to reserve some of the cooking water before doing so (as in the photo above for instance or in a large mug).
Turn the heat off and add part of the pecorino and mix well. Each diner can add more pecorino later at the table.
Here we are … a nice serving.
Nice. Very nice. Perfect during the colder months. Good for leftovers later on too … that’s if you have any !
That looks wonderful and comforting food for the colder weather setting in now 🙂
Hi are you bella? Still not ‘cold’ here but the days are so short now, aren’t they …
Well thank you 🙂 But I don’t like winter and short days! Your Boston trip sounded great! x
Looks good. Was this recipe in one of Marcella Hazan’s books? I am cooking through her ‘Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking’ and enjoying learning (and tasting) as I go.
Hello Shazzameena … I am afraid I can’t answer your question re Marcella (I haven’t read the book) but this recipe strikes me as typically roman, on account of both the sausage and the type of broccolo. It’s also very ‘homey’, not posh at all – but then, who cares,right?
I’m working my way through all the recipes in her ‘Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking’, so was hoping it was in there (as you tagged her) but there are certainly some similar ones. I will have to give them a try soon 🙂
Ciao Shazzameena … I had tagged Marcella for the following reason ” Marcella Hazan wrote about this modern tendency of ours to ‘undercook’ vegetables because we think it is a healthier or trendier option when in point of fact, the vegetable is ‘done’ precisely when it is ‘done’ … when it ‘gives’ and releases the sweetness of its flavour without falling apart.” Here is an excerpt from a facebook exchange on this subject, dated February 2011.
Quote no 1 : In Praise Of Tenderness
by Marcella Hazan on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 3:53am
When did undercooking replace cooking? When did gritty replace juicy, when did stiff replace pliant? I recall a post by chef Scott Conant in which he lamented the extreme definition of al dente pasta that patrons of the restaurant ever more frequently insisted on. I recently took up the question with a Brazilian food journalist – aptly named Olivia – who was interviewing me for a pasta story that her paper would publish.
Quote number 2 : “Insufficient cooking is not a corrective to overcooking. Neither is good cooking, which I define as careful, thoughtful cooking focused on preserving and exalting the tasting qualities of our ingredients. Mushy cauliflower is not more horrible than hard cauliflower. A good cook learns at what point of tenderness a cauliflower releases its sweetness. I don’t know what overcooked artichokes are: the crisp carciofi alla giudia, the melting carciofi alla romana, the slowly and thoroughly browned artichokes of a host of Italian dishes? All of these presume the artichokes have first been prepared for cooking by skillful preliminary removal of every unchewable bit. The barbaric practice of steaming artichokes whole and subsequently scraping the leaves clean with the edge of your teeth may indeed lead to what you describe as horribly overcooked artichokes.
Wow…that looks delicious and seems so easy to make. Wish I had easy access to good quality Italian sausages here in the UK. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks again for inspiring me. xx
Love that you say I inspire you! And yes, it is a very accessible recipe … you could use a little bit of pancetta in lieu of the sausage if you like …
Hi Jo, I love broccolo romano and regard it as a treat as it is not regularly available here. I cook it shorter than the pasta, about 10 minutes. I’ve prepared it the same except for the sausage, which I will definitely try.
Ciao Stefan, how are you? I’ve been running all over the place and not kept up with your fab recipes. Will study them more closer when things calm down after the holidays … Do you do anything special in Holland for the 6th December, Saint Nicholas? Is there a special meal? (I know about the chocolate letter … yum).
Hi Jo, I’m very busy at work but still manage to keep up the blog as well. We celebrate St Nicholas on the 5th (the eve of his birthday) and the food is all specials sweets. I may do a post on them this year. We’re having a crazy St Nicholas celebration this year, as suddenly some people are claiming that it is racist that his helpers are black (actually soot-covered white folk from the chimneys they need to go through to deliver presents to the children).
Oh dear … politically correct can sometimes degenerate in historically incorrect ! good luck anyway !
Tried it already, we both liked it! Kees says hi!
http://wp.me/p21O7i-3vz
Thank you Stefan AND Kees ! yeay !
Pingback: Pasta with Romanesco and Sausage (Pasta con broccolo romano e salsiccia) | Stefan's Gourmet Blog
Very soon this site will be famous among all blog users,
due to it’s good articles
It’s such a tasty concoction! I must make it again…last time I did it with broccoli rabe! Ciao, bella!