January 31, 2015

This pasta dish is one that has evolved over 30 years in the making. A college friend, David Mills, prepared it for us as his italian grandma had prepared it for him. As I never wrote the recipe down on paper, it surely has changed over time – but we have enjoyed it every time its made!

Broccoli Cavatelli is actually different each time I make it because I never measure the ingredients. I will list quantities – but please know that none of the quantities are critical. The sauce can be very light – by using only fresh tomatoes – or more hearty when tomato puree is used – or a jar of purchased marinara sauce. I do suggest always using some fresh tomatoes – even in winter as it gives a better texture to the dish.

The basic ingredients are broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cavatelli. Each give the dish plenty of flavor, color and substance so you will never miss any meat. Plenty of fresh garlic enhances the flavor of each of the main ingredients too! Cavatelli is often hard to find at a regular grocery store – but is often available at Italian Markets – or other specialty grocery stores, typically in the frozen food section. It has a wonderful chewy bite and the sauce oozes into the curled crevices beautifully.

Cheese is added at the end, just as you are serving. If it melts too much, you will have a stringy, gooey mess. It is just hard to serve and sticks to serving utensils – but delicious either way.
The process and instructions may seem daunting at first, but once you follow the recipe from start to finish, it won’t seem as labor intensive. The broccoli florets will need to be blanched in the pasta water, then quickly chilled in ice water. This really makes the broccoli stay bright green and more appetizing. I just scoop the broccoli out of the water and into an ice bath. Save the water to cook the cavatelli – it will be a little green – but it won’t hurt a thing. I have found the best way to clean mushrooms is to use a damp cloth or paper towel and just wipe the specs of dirt away. If you rinse the mushrooms with water they get soggy. If you want to make your own sauce, I recommend a 28 oz jar of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree in which you add 1-2 teaspoons of an italian herb blend – or just basil and oregano.

Broccoli Cavatelli

Serves 4 -5 generously

Prep/cooking time about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets
8 to 14 oz mushrooms (button or brown), cleaned, halved or quartered
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, diced or pressed
8 to 14 oz fresh tomatoes (roma, grape, or any small variety) halved or quartered
1 lb frozen cavatelli or other chunky pasta
28 – 32 oz marinara sauce or tomato puree with added italian herbs
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan or romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
chopped fresh basil or parsley to top when serviing

Instructions

Fill a large stock pot with water. Add about 3 Tbs salt and bring to a boil on the stove. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli florets and cook for about 3 minutes. The broccoli will not be fully cooked. When the broccoli is boiling fill a large bowl with ice water. Scoop broccoli quickly into the ice bath. Once it cools, drain and reserve the broccoli. Keep the water in the pot to boil the pasta.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms into pan and brown. When the mushrooms begin to release liquid, add half of the garlic. Be sure the garlic does not burn. You can reduce heat to medium if needed.

Bring pasta water back up to a boil. Add cavatelli, following instructions for cooking. Typical cooking times are 10-12 minutes. I like to drain pasta a few minutes before it’s done so it can be finished with the sauce and other ingredients.

Meanwhile, add marinara/tomato sauce, and remaining garlic to the saute pan. Bring to a low boil on medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper if desired, to taste.

Finally add broccoli, tomatoes, and pasta to the sauté pan with the mushrooms and sauce. Stir to incorporate flavors and coat the pasta well. Bring mixture back up to a boil. Add most of the cheese and quickly stir.

Pour into a serving dish and top with remaining cheese and fresh chopped herbs.

Notes

Thanks to David H. Mills for sharing this family recipe with me!