As I’m forever watching my weight and cholesterol I usually shy away from too much oil but this dish really does need it. It is however high in monounsaturated fats which apparently help the high cholesterol battle so it’s not all bad. This stunningly simple dish is a great little meal and the use of anchovies just gives it that extra hit of seasoning which is a real winner and before you say ‘I don’t like anchovies!’ you don’t actually taste fish just a great seasoning. You can buy umami paste which would probably work and vegetarians/vegans could maybe try miso paste. This is based on one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes.
INGREDIENTS
400g spaghetti (wholegrain or gluten free)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3-4 spring onions finely chopped
1 packet of Tenderstem broccoli (approx. 300g)
8 tinned/jarred anchovy fillets (you won’t taste it as a fish just a seasoning. Vegetarians could maybe get a similar taste using a tablespoon of miso paste)
1 to 2 fresh red chillies, de-seeded and finely sliced
A few shavings of Parmesan cheese
A couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary and a sprig of thyme, leaves only
A splash of white wine (optional, I was just drinking one at the time and it seemed like a good idea)
Sea salt and black pepper
METHOD
Boil a large pan of water with a teaspoon of low sodium salt/or regular salt. Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions but drain just about 2 minutes before the end of cooking time but make sure you retain a mug full of the cooking water.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, onion, anchovy and chilli and sauté for about 3 minutes until the garlic is soft. Add the rosemary and thyme and fry for about 30 seconds before adding the broccoli and wine if using. Make sure that you cook over a medium heat as you do not want to burn the garlic.
When the broccoli is cooked through, add the spaghetti with a little of the water from the pasta pot and toss to combine. Heat for a minute or so to finish cooking the pasta, season and serve immediately with a few shavings of Parmesan and ground black pepper.
Wheelie Tasty Recipes 