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Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

Romans use the leaves that grow around heads of broccoli to make a flavorful sauce for pasta. In the U.S., most of the leaves are stripped off before broccoli is sold. Our recipe instead uses the stems, which are equally flavorful and produce a silky sauce. Baby spinach retains the color of the original recipe.
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Kemp Minifie - Milk Street

Ingredients

  • 1 lb broccoli stems and florets separated
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1½ cups packed baby spinach
  • 2 medium cloves garlic chopped
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest divided
  • 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
  • 1 ounce (finely grated ½ cup) pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese plus more to serve

Instructions

  • In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Peel the broccoli stems, reserving any leaves, and cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds. Add the stems and leaves to the boiling water and cook until fully tender, about 10 minutes.*
  • Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender; reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. Keep the water at a boil.
  • Cut the broccoli florets into 1- to 1½-inch pieces. Add the florets to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water until cooled. Again keep the water at a boil.
  • To the blender, add the garlic, butter, capers, pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest and the reserved broccoli cooking water. Puree until smooth and bright green, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Stir the rigatoni into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain.
  • Return pasta to the pot and add the broccoli florets, the broccoli puree, ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the cheese. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly and the pasta is well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

  • Don’t undercook the broccoli stems. We're accustomed to cooking vegetables until crisp-tender, but the stems here should be cooked until fully tender.