So Easy You Won’t Have to Order In

By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press

My mom used to rhapsodize about what a great cook her mother was. Nana died when I was five years old, so I can’t vouch for that. But I can say that the cooking gene skipped a generation, because my mom didn’t make much of a splash in the kitchen. Marinades? Nah. Fresh veggies or greens? Hardly ever. Cumin, turmeric, ginger, garlic, basil, cilantro, allspice? You’re joking. With the exception of salt, you might say she never met a spice she liked. Mom cooked plain food, plainly.

My aunt, on the other hand, was a lot more adventurous in the kitchen. She married a man from an Italian family and she learned a lot about cooking from her mother-in-law. Through dinners with my aunt I caught a glimpse of a world beyond standard meat and potatoes. She served dishes I’d never seen before, like green beans almondine or dutchess potatoes, and she made killer meatballs. She also made her own lasagna noodles, which I thought was terribly exotic.

Even my aunt’s simple comfort foods—like cavatelli and broccoli or pasta fagioli—were more interesting than what we ate at home. When I started cooking for myself I made both of those recipes of hers regularly. As I gained exposure to new foods and cuisines I moved into new culinary territory, and tucked those recipes away in a file.

I was reminded of my aunt’s cavatelli and broccoli when I came across Toni Lydecker’s recipe for Penne with Savory Broccoli Sauce in her book for solo cooking “Serves One,” published by Lake Isle Press. Toni’s recipe differs a little from my aunt’s, but the results are similar: they’re both simple recipes for pasta mixed with garlicky broccoli and seasoned with crushed red pepper and a liberal dose of cheese.

I decided to try Toni’s recipe, and followed it precisely (except for substituting a half teaspoon of anchovy paste for the whole anchovy). The result was a flavorful, perfectly portioned, single-serving pasta dish. Then I made it again and added a teaspoon of tomato paste. Even better. It’s a fast, easy dish and it could be made faster If you cut down on prep and use pre-chopped broccoli and prepared minced garlic.

While both Toni’s and my aunt’s recipes are for quick broccoli pastas, I perceive them differently now than when I first learned my way around the kitchen. I felt like a cook when I made my aunt’s recipe as a kid; like I was using my culinary skills instead of opening a can. Contrast that to when I made Toni’s recipe the other day: it’s a fast, easy pantry-centric meal that barely registered as cooking.

So I guess you could say broccoli pasta continues to make me feel like a cook, but in a different way. It’s still an alternative to opening a can or getting takeout. But instead of serving as my option when I want to flex my cooking muscles, it’s become something to make when I don’t want to cook at all.

Penne with Savory Broccoli Sauce

Click here for printable recipe.

Serves One
Prep: 10 Minutes | Cook: 12 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 heaping teaspoon salt
1 medium broccoli crown (see Note), cut into small pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup penne, orecchiette, or cavatelli (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely-chopped garlic
1 anchovy
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

PREPARATION

Combine 6 cups water and the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the broccoli for a minute or two until the stalks are barely tender (test with a knife). Scoop out the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the pasta to the same water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a medium skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about a minute. Add the anchovy along with 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water, and stir until the anchovy dissolves. Add the reserved broccoli to the mixture. Cover and simmer until the broccoli is tender and some of the liquid has evaporated.
Drain the pasta when it is al dente and stir into the broccoli mixture. Transfer to a shallow soup-pasta bowl and season with crushed red pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cook’s Notes

Instead of broccoli, you can substitute the same quantity of broccolini or broccoli rabe.
If you’re tempted to ditch the anchovy, please reconsider. This feisty little fish can be subtle. Rather than slapping you with a fishy, salty taste, as it does on a pizza, the anchovy melts unobtrusively into the sauce and gives it a grounded, savory flavor.
Look for anchovies in olive oil, imported from Spain or Italy—preferably in a glass jar, which makes it easier to save what’s left in the refrigerator.

Variation

Add 2 ounces of cooked sweet or hot Italian sausage chunks.

Penne with Savory Broccoli Sauce
Recipe from “Serves One” by Toni Lydecker
Lake Isle Press, 2005

Recipes for one that nourish the soul as well as the body that mostly call for only 10 minutes of active prep time. Many featured recipes are all-in-one meals requiring minimal cleanup—main-course salads, simple stir-fries, fresh takes on pizza and pasta, savory soups, and inventive sandwiches.

ALSO FROM SERVES ONE:

RISOTTO WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND PEAS RECIPE

ALSO BY TONI LYDECKER:

PIATTO UNICO: WHEN ONE COURSE MAKES A FULL ITALIAN MEAL
featuring HERBED ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PARSNIP PURÉE RECIPE

SEAFOOD ALA SICILIANA: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM A LIVING TRADITION