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Ziti with Broccoli and Toasted Pine Nuts

Ziti with Broccoli and Toasted Pine Nuts

Recipe from The Way to Eat Now: Modern Vegetarian Food © Alice Hart, 2016, 2017. Photographs copyright © Emma Lee, 2016, 2017. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

Course Main Dishes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 cups 400 g broccoli florets
  • 12 ounces 350 g dried ziti pasta, or other long pasta shape
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 fat garlic clove crushed
  • 2 tablespoons mascarpone optional
  • 2/3 cup 100 g roughly chopped vegetarian blue cheese, such as gorgonzola
  • 1 1/3 cups 100 g pine nuts, toasted until goldenVegetarian Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to serve, optional

Instructions

  1. Blanch the broccoli in plenty of boiling water for 3 minutes or so. Drain in a colander and refresh under ice-cold water to preserve its color. Drain again and roughly chop.
  2. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package instructions, until al dente.
  3. Meanwhile, put the butter and garlic into a cold large frying pan, place over medium heat and cook for a minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add the broccoli, cover with a lid or baking sheet and cook very gently for a few minutes. The broccoli should be very soft and yield easily to a wooden spoon pressed on it. Stir in the mascarpone, if using, and blue cheese and heat through to form a sauce. Season with salt and lots of pepper to taste. Stir in the pine nuts.
  4. Drain the pasta, but don’t be too precious about draining off every drop of water. Transfer the pasta straight into the broccoli pan and mix well. Serve in warmed bowls, with vegetarian Parmesan cheese grated over, if you like.