author: steveandsarah
created: 2007-12-15 23:06:30
servings:
notes:
This is an especially good variation on that classic pasta with broccoli and anchovies dish (Sarah Jane posted Marcella Hazan's version on this site). I love this dish in all its incarnations and ate it almost every day when we were in Puglia a few years ago. (There it was usually made with "cime di rapa," which people there told us were turnip greens, though I think it is what we call broccoli raab, which is supposedly related to the turnip.) This version is kind of a cross between the usual version and Claire and Hen's pasta alle sarde. Although the recipe called for broccoli, cauliflower was suggested as a variation and it worked beautifully. We all loved it, including 2 year old Max. The simplicity of this recipe also appealed to my laziness: I like that you just dump in the whole tin of anchovies, oil and all, which meant I didn't have to find a little container for the leftover anchovies or figure out how to dispose of the oil without spilling it everywhere. Recipe adapted from Emlyn Williams.
recipe:
75 to 90 grams pasta per person [I think whole wheat works well for this dish--and they seemed to use it in Puglia quite a lot, to my surprise!] A head of cauliflower, or broccoli, same weight as pasta A tin of anchovies in olive oil Chopped or crushed garlic A crushed, dried chilli, or some chilli powder A handful of pine nuts or slivered almonds A handful of raisins or sultanas (soak in warm water, if you like, to plump them up) A glass of dry white wine Salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese Boil the pasta and the cauliflower, separated into bite-sized florets, in plenty of salted water. I put both in at the same time, but it depends on the type and shape of pasta, the size of the florets, and how soft you want the vegetable. Meanwhile, put the anchovies and their oil, the garlic and chilli in a pan over a low heat, and smush the anchovies so that they dissolve. Add the nuts, raisins, and glass of white wine to the warmed anchovy mixture and let it reduce slightly. It should smell really good now. Drain pasta and cauliflower, mix with sauce. Add salt, pepper and cheese to taste. Enjoy with lots more white wine.