Broccoli with Rigatoni

This broccoli and rigatoni dish is Italian simplicity at its best. Four cloves of garlic browned gently in olive oil and margarine, broccoli florets simmered in vegetable broth until just al dente, then tossed with hot pasta and a full cup of fresh basil. No cream sauce, no cheese, no complicated technique. Just good ingredients treated right.

Browning the garlic slowly is where the flavor foundation is built. Rush it and you get bitter, burnt garlic that ruins everything. Keep the heat gentle and stir until the cloves turn pale gold and fragrant. That’s when you add the broccoli.

Simmering the broccoli in vegetable broth instead of boiling it in plain water means the florets absorb savory flavor as they cook. The broth also reduces slightly, creating a light sauce that coats the rigatoni when everything gets tossed together. No need for a separate sauce step.

Adding half the basil during cooking and the rest fresh on top gives you two layers of herb flavor: the cooked basil mellows into the broth while the raw basil on top stays bright and aromatic.

Rigatoni’s ridged tubes are ideal here. They catch the broccoli bits and soak up the garlicky broth in every groove.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the rigatoni in well-salted water and drain it while it’s still firm. It finishes cooking when tossed in the hot skillet with the broccoli
• Cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets so they fit inside the rigatoni tubes
• Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the dish if it looks dry when you toss everything together
• Use good olive oil here. With this few ingredients, the quality shows

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for a spicy kick
• Toss in a handful of toasted pine nuts for crunch and richness
• Finish with a shower of grated Pecorino Romano if you’re not keeping it vegan