Pasta with Bitter Broccoli

Pasta with bitter broccoli is Italian thrift cooking at its finest: spaghetti, broccoli, olive oil, garlic, chile, salt. That’s it. The magic is the technique, not the ingredient list.

The garlic and red pepper flakes bloom in warm oil first, which turns the oil itself into the sauce. Fourteen cloves sounds aggressive on paper, but slow-cooked in oil, it mellows into something sweet and almost jammy instead of sharp. That infused oil is what coats every strand.

The broccoli cooks on top of the oil so it steams while soaking up garlic flavor from below. If you prefer stovetop over microwave, use a deep skillet with a tight lid. Either way, keep the broccoli covered long enough to collapse slightly, which is what the word “bitter” hints at, the almost-stewed, dark green character of Southern Italian broccoli dishes.

Chef Tips

• Save a cup of pasta water before draining and splash some in at the end if the dish looks dry.
• Slice the garlic thin rather than mincing it. Thin slices don’t burn as fast and stay visible in the finished dish.
• Salt the pasta water generously since there’s very little seasoning beyond salt.
• Pecorino Romano grated over the top at the table is a must, it’s saltier and sharper than Parmesan and holds up to the bold flavors.

Variations

• Swap broccoli for broccoli rabe (rapini) for a genuinely bitter, more traditional Southern Italian version.
• Add a tin of oil-packed anchovies to the garlic oil for a deeper, briny kick.
• Toss in toasted breadcrumbs at the end for crunch, a classic poor-man’s-Parmesan move.