Baked pasta with broccoli, Sicilian-style, but in my own way. Many of you will already know the famous pasta with broccoli alla palermitana or the pasta with broccoli alla siciliana, a first course that is humble and delicious and is part of the collection dedicated to Sicilian cuisine and grandma’s recipes. Today, taking inspiration from that recipe but changing it a little, we’ll make a baked version, replacing the cauliflower (“sparaceddi” in the Palermo dialect) with actual broccoli. The baked pasta with broccoli is one of the tasty broccoli recipes suitable for the whole family, flavorful and inviting — even good for those who don’t particularly love this vegetable. So if the braised broccoli are delicious, the broccoli arriminati alla palermitana are amazing and with baked pasta they’re even better! Would you like to try it? Follow me in the kitchen and you’ll see how tasty it is. Before we roll up our sleeves, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also check out:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4- 5
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients to make baked pasta with broccoli arriminati
- 18 oz pasta (fresh (about 18 oz) or 12 oz dry (about 350 g))
- 2.2 lb broccoli
- 1 onion (large, white)
- 6 fillets anchovy fillets in oil
- 1 oz pine nuts (or chopped mixed nuts (about 3 tbsp))
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 sachets saffron
- to taste salt
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 7 oz provola (caciotta or tuma siciliana (or another semi-soft melting cheese))
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Pots
- Baking dish
- Pan
Preparation of baked pasta with broccoli, Sicilian-style
This is a version of baked pasta with broccoli arriminati that is a bit my own — it is not the traditional recipe. Also note that in Palermo those called “broccoli” are actually cauliflower, while the true broccoli, like the ones used in our recipe, are called “sparacelli”.
To make the baked pasta with broccoli arriminati, start by separating the broccoli florets from each other, then plunge them into lightly salted boiling water and cook until very tender.
Sauté the onion in a pan with a generous splash of olive oil, add the anchovies and cook until they melt into the oil.
Add the raisins and the pine nuts or chopped nuts (I used pistachios) or the pine nuts. Pour in a ladle of the broccoli cooking water.
Before the liquids evaporate completely add the saffron and stir. Scoop the broccoli with a slotted spoon, keeping the cooking water on the heat, add the broccoli to the pan ingredients and mix, crushing them with a fork. When you have a fairly creamy sauce and the broccoli are broken down, turn off the heat. Cook the pasta and drain it al dente.
I used fresh pasta because it holds up better to baking and tastes richer. Mix in 2/3 of the broccoli cream and half of the grated cheese. Spread a little “muddica atturrata” (toasted breadcrumb mixture — I explain below how to make it) on the bottom of a baking dish, pour in half of the pasta, spread a little broccoli cream, sprinkle with grated cheese and then
add the cheese in pieces. Ideally you would use tuma siciliana, but alternatively a cheese like provola, caciotta or any semi-soft melting cheese will work. Sprinkle more muddica atturrata and cover with the remaining pasta.
Finish with the last of the broccoli cream, grated cheese and muddica. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a ventilated oven at 392°F and remove from the oven.
Enjoy warm after a short rest.
Put the breadcrumbs in a pan with a drizzle of oil, stir and toast until golden. Use the muddica atturrata to enrich all kinds of first courses and you’ll see how delicious it is! If you prefer, heat the oil first, melt a little anchovy and only after that add the breadcrumbs to toast and flavor them. (The version with anchovy is the original recipe for true muddica atturrata).
Storage notes and tips
You can prepare the “broccoli arriminati” in advance and keep them in the refrigerator, well sealed in an airtight container, for up to two days. Freezing is not recommended. Cooked leftover pasta can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours and reheated in a pan until a golden crust forms before serving.
If you want to stay updated on my recipes, follow me also on:
pinterest; X, you tube and tiktok.
From here, you can return to the HOME and discover new recipes!
