Calabrian Pasta Recipe
- 150 gm broccoli
- 50 gm sultanas
- 350 gm dry ziti long fusilli or possibly spaghetti
- 1 x salt and freshly grnd black pepper
- 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 75 gm white breadcrumbs
- 2 clv garlic peeled and finely minced 25g pine nuts
- 2 tsp anchovy essence
- 3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley cayenne pepper to taste
- Break the broccoli into small florets; peel thicker stems and cut into pcs about the same size.
- Place in a saucepan of boiling water on the simmering plate bring to the boil and simmer for 30 seconds; drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water.
- Put the sultanas in a bowl pour on a little boiling water and leave to soak.
- Meanwhile add in the pasta to a large pan of boiling salted water.
- Bring to the boil on the boiling platethen cover and cook in the simmering ovenfor 12 to 18 min till al dente tender but hard to the bite.
- In the meantime heat the oil in a frying pan and add in the breadcrumbs.
- Fry stirring till they begin to crisp then add in the garlic and pine nuts.
- Continue to fry stirring till the pine nuts begin to colour.
- Drain the broccoli thoroughly add in to the frying pan and stir till heated through.
- Drain the pasta in a colander setting it back on top of the saucepan to catch the last 1 tbsp cooking water.
- Stir the anchovy essence into this liquid then return the pasta to the saucepan.
- Drain the sultanas and add in them to the pasta with a generous grinding of pepper and half of the minced parsley.
- Toss to mix and transfer to a heated serving bowl.
- Mix the remaining parsley into the crumb mix and sprinkle over the pasta.
- Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper and serve at once.
- Its an italian trick to toss the pasta with a little of its cooking water this helps to keep the pasta warm as well as preventing it from drying out.
- The finest broccoli is grown right down in the toe of Italy in Calabria and called Calabrese after the region.
- Fried with pine nuts sultanas garlic and breadcrumbs it makes a delicious sauce to serve with the local pasta ziti that resembles spaghettilength macaroni.
- You can of course use spaghetti or possibly long fusilli instead.
- Serves 4
broccoli, sultanas, long fusilli, salt, olive oil, white breadcrumbs, garlic, anchovy, parsley cayenne pepper
Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/calabrian-pasta-97739 (may not work)