Bow Broccoli

Submitted by Stacey Hutchings

This recipe makes the rotation at our house on a regular basis. I saw it on the Food Network show Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. I'm not sure, but it may be from this book. Don't let the anchovies scare you away! While I wouldn't put them on my pizza, they add a wonderful flavor to this dish! Kathryn gave it the name "Bow Broccoli". I usually add left-over chicken and consider dinner done.


Farfalle with Broccoli
Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound farfalle pasta
2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups) (I usually use frozen because it's on hand)
1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil (I use extra light olive oil)
4 Tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used the bottled minced stuff I keep in the fridge)
5 anchovy fillets, diced (no need to dice them, they melt away to nothing--5 fillets is about half a tin)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
about 3 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (plus more to top each serving--be generous!)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes (reduce the heat, you don't want the garlic to burn--and this is when I add the chicken). Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan (I just stir in the 1/2 cup Parmesan, then add more for each serving).