One of the perks of working in Italy is working in Italy. Fast food is a slow cooked, spit roasted pork sandwich from the butcher and you can get beautiful shoes for what it might cost to fill up a small gas tank. I will easily give up driving for a pair of good shoes. Some people might save their Prada boots for special occassions, but my boots make me feel so good, I would be happy wearing them to bed. The problem is, I can’t cook in them, and I can’t go jogging in them, so I have to shop. I hate shopping; I shop like a slug, which means I won’t have much time for making dinner when I get back. I’m in NY at the moment, and though there is plenty of fast food here as well, I will make my own one pot Broccoli and pasta.
Use Di Cecco orchiette. Bring a big pot of water to the boil, salt it, and throw in your pasta, about half a box. About 5 minutes after the pasta goes in, throw in the cut broccoli. When the pasta is still al dente, drain the whole thing, reserving a little of the liquid. Dry the pan well. Slice up maybe 4 cloves of garlic super thinly. Heat up your best olive oil and throw them in over low to medium heat until just going golden. Throw in a sprig of rosemary, four or five leaves of basil, or chopped fresh parsely. It’s important to cook the herbe in oil before anything wet goes in; not until the herb is brown, just darker green. Add a few cayenne pepper flakes. Tip in the pasta and broccoli. Add another pour of your gorgeous oil and some salt and freshly ground pepper along with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Taste for salt. Grate in parmesan on the fine grater. Do some on the rough side as well to sprinkle over the top. Done. (If you like a more intense flavor, break up a few anchovies into the garlic and herb; let them melt before adding the pasta)