Cavatelli with Broccoli ~ Cavatelli Con Broccoletti

This cavatelli with broccoli recipe is my kind of comfort food, any time of year—simple, delicious, uncomplicated, friendly, and easily adaptable to what’s on hand. I made the recipe as written, but other vegetables could easily be substituted or added. I immediately think of asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli rabe, spinach, arugula—all steamable, just like the broccoli. Many herbs and/or spices could be added, individually or in combination, including basil, oregano, pepper flakes, to name just a few. And the shape of the pasta could be almost anything, including the obvious substitution of something easier to find, such as penne or orecchiette. It could be further embellished with a sprinkling of pine nuts, for example. But does it need anything beyond the broccoli, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan? Nope! It’s plain, simple, and delicious in that simplicity. Because it’s so simple, I was especially careful to choose an excellent quality cheese, which really added to the dish. After generously salting and peppering, the cheese added the final touch. I used store-bought cavatelli. One word of caution: the pasta will need a healthy amount of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Add all the oil and black pepper it calls for. Be a little careful about the salt because the cheese is salty. You can always salt more after sprinkling on the cheese. And this simple peasant-y dish also seemed amenable to not just the pretty florets, but also the stems, sliced thinly enough that they cooked evenly alongside the prettier florets. This is a keeper no matter how it’s served, left plain and simple or dressed up a bit. Keep it in mind when you’re stumped about what’s for dinner or short on prep time!

I had to make this cavatelli with broccoli recipe soon after I saw it. Simple ingredients made for a quick and easy dinner tonight. I used penne, which I had on hand, and sweet baby broccoli and it was just perfect. I used the pasta water to boil my broccoli and it worked great. I will definitely be making this again—what a delicious and healthy meal. I’ve always wanted to try the cooking technique for the Chivalade sausage recipe on the site and I cooked up a few spicy Italian sausages with a nice sear and then sliced them and added them to my final dish. OK, out went the healthy, but it was divine!

This is such a simple, versatile recipe. And you can add so many different vegetables to it. It was great as is, but next time, I’ll add some garlic, tomatoes, and whatever else I have in the fridge. The pasta cooked for about 11 minutes until al dente. The broccoli cooked for about 4 minutes. I drained them both, drizzled with oil and a lot of salt and pepper, and then added the Parmesan. Nothing to it. Easy, quick and oh so yummy! I took the shortcut and used store-bought penne. I’m sure homemade pasta would have been wonderful, I just didn’t want to take the time.

This was very tasty. Not sure if I would consider it a pantry meal, as this is not something I would normally eat as a meal. But it was a perfectly good side dish. Barely a recipe, it’s a simple and flavorful combination of ingredients that would be a welcome addition to any meal. But then if you take pasta and add olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan and combine it with any vegetable, it will always be delicious in my opinion.

This cavatelli with broccoli recipe is one of those recipes that you can love or hate. The recipe itself is easy and self-explanatory. Overall this is a good recipe, and in a pinch or a hurry, store-bought cavatelli will work. I can’t resist homemade pasta, so I prefer to make it myself. I boiled the pasta in a large pot of salted water, which took about 10 minutes. I cooked the broccoli in a large frying pan, blanching for 5 minutes. For the sauce, however, I took some liberties, sautéing 2 minced garlic cloves with 1/2 cup olive oil, mixing everything together when done, and serving with grated cheese. It was delicious. I’ll be making this again for sure.