A delightful and easy vegetarian pasta dish featuring sun-dried tomatoes, roasted broccoli, goat cheese, and olive oil infused with red pepper.
If I had written this post on Monday as I planned, it would have been filled with complaints and frustrations. I would have wondered, “Why don’t cars always start when we need them?” and “Why do younger siblings have to make such big blunders?” Not to mention, “Will that enormous pile of dirty laundry ever wash itself?!”
While we’re at it, why can’t I live in a reality where days stretch to accommodate our tasks, and first dates are more enjoyable than awkward? Complain, complain, complain.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you, my wonderful readers. I truly appreciate you stopping by my little corner of the internet. Your visits and comments mean so much to me, and I’m always amazed that you try out my recipes. Your kind words inspire me to continue blogging. Additionally, your visits and those not-so-adorable ads in the sidebar have helped me cover an unexpected expense. While it may not be a lot, earning money doing what I love is a true blessing. So, thank you for coming to my rescue, friends! Your support means everything to me.
With the car troubles behind us, let’s dive into this recipe. It immediately grabbed my attention when I first browsed through Susie Middleton’s The Fresh & Green Table. The terms “spicy” and “garlicky” stood out, but it was the cooking technique that truly intrigued me. She starts by infusing olive oil with red pepper flakes and garlic, which she then combines with freshly cooked, crisp broccoli at the end. Plus, it has a delightful creaminess without being overly rich, as goat cheese melts into a luscious sauce when blended with warm pasta and a bit of the cooking water. Brilliant, don’t you think?
Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients:
- Ingredient 1
- Ingredient 2
- Ingredient 3
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a colander in the sink with a glass liquid measuring cup or heat-safe bowl next to it. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente
- as directed on the package instructions. Remove the pot from heat and ladle/pour about 1 cup of the pasta water in the glass measuring cup. Drain the pasta in the colander and let it rest
- covered loosely with a pot lid or plate.<br /> 2. Place a small
- heat-safe bowl near the stove. In a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet
- heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot
- add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook
- stirring constantly
- until the garlic begins to simmer. Cook for about 30 seconds more to infuse the oil with spicy
- garlicky flavor
- but do not let the garlic brown. Pour and scrape the seasoned oil into the heatproof bowl and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a clean kitchen rag or paper towel.<br /> 3. Return the pan to the stove. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-low until shimmering. Add the broccoli and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook
- stirring occasionally
- until the broccoli has shrunk to a single layer in the pan and turned bright green
- and most have some browning on them (about ten minutes). Don’t quit cooking prematurely here; you want the broccoli to be nice and toasty.<br /> 4. Get out the pan’s lid or a cookie sheet and keep it handy. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Measure out ⅓ cup pasta water (keep the rest for later) and pour it into the pan. Cover the pan with your lid or cookie sheet and continue cooking until the water has simmered down to almost nothing
- about 15 to 30 seconds. Uncover and remove the pan from heat.<br /> 5. Add the drained pasta to the pan and drizzle in all of the infused oil. Give it a stir
- then add the goat cheese and most of the Parmigiano. Stir until everything is well distributed. Add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pasta water
- the chopped olives and lemon juice
- and stir until the goat cheese loosens up and gets creamier. Season to taste with salt and add a tablespoon more pasta water or additional goat cheese if you’d like it to be more creamy. If it seems dry at all
- add a little splash of olive oil and mix well. Mix in the chickpeas and/or arugula
- if using. 6. Serve right away
- garnished with the remaining Parmigiano.