Today my son and I enjoyed two plates (each!) of spelt pasta with broccoli and taleggio and we really licked our chops! Thankfully, my son likes broccoli! 😄
Yes, because as I was telling you a recipe ago (that is HERE), everything that belongs to the cruciferous family is usually not welcomed with enthusiasm in my house. Luckily, I have an ally, my son, the youngest in the family, who for some inexplicable reason appreciates cabbages, especially cooked ones. So we feasted on this spelt pasta with broccoli and taleggio, just the two of us (and we ate for four!!!). What a delight!
👇 Here are 3 more ideas to get the rest of the family to eat crucifers: 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 9 oz whole spelt flour pasta (I used tagliatelle, but any shape is fine)
- 7 oz broccoli
- 7 oz Taleggio
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- white wine
- chili pepper
- breadcrumbs (for gratin, optional)
Tools
- Frying Pan
- Pasta Cooker
- Cocotte
Steps
Cut the broccoli florets. Using only the florets will minimize cooking time.
👉 Don’t throw away the stem, you can use it in other preparations like a minestrone, a legume soup, or a vegetable sauce.
Wash the florets then sauté them in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, one minced garlic clove, and chili pepper (to taste).
Deglaze with a splash of wine and let cook for about ten minutes with the lid closed, opening occasionally to stir and to add a few tablespoons of hot water.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. (Cooking time varies depending on the pasta used).
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it in the pan with the broccoli. Depending on the type of pasta used, you may need to add oil, I added another 2 tablespoons.
At this point, you have two options:
1- Stir-fried Version. Add, to the pasta sautéed with broccoli, 100 g of taleggio cut into pieces, stir for a couple of minutes, the taleggio melts quickly. Serve immediately adding the remaining taleggio just before plating (so it will be soft but not melted).
Since my son was very hungry, we had the first portion of this spelt pasta with broccoli and taleggio like this, just stir-fried, and I assure you it’s a great dish, truly delicious!
I didn’t photograph this first version (but trust me, it’s worth a try!), because my initial intent was to cook directly the second version 🙂 This one:
2- Gratinated Version. Transfer the stir-fried spelt pasta with broccoli and taleggio into single-serve cocottes (mine are as large as a plate), cover with the remaining taleggio and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Like this:
Place in the oven to gratin for 10-15 minutes (even with just the grill on) until the crust is to your liking.
Serve directly in the cocottes. It’s a nice way to present a dish that is practically made of only three ingredients, easy and quick to make, yet so good!!!
(if you don’t have cocottes, a regular baking dish is fine too, and then portion).Which of the two versions will you try first? In any case… Enjoy your meal!!!
Salt-Free Tips
All the ingredients in this recipe have intense and well-defined flavors: broccoli, naturally flavorful like all crucifers, whole spelt flour pasta, which has a strong taste, taleggio, a flavorful and fragrant cheese. So you have no excuses! Try not to salt the dressing and reduce the salt in the pasta water! Alternatively, you can add a second garlic clove and a pinch more chili pepper. 🙂
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly without noticing the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granulate and the gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer methods that do not disperse flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes salting according to your habits.
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