As we talked about this some more, my friend mentioned cooking the greens and the pasta in the same pot, and I remembered a Minimalist column I did with my friend Jack Bishop like 20 years ago. Jack is also (coincidentally) half Italian, and he “came up with” the idea of cooking greens and pasta in the same pot — a new idea to me at the time, and to most of my readers, but something I’ve since integrated as a habit.
PrintPasta with Broccoli Raab and Anchovies
Prevent your screen from going dark
Makes 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- Salt to taste
- Garlic, at least 4 cloves unless they’re huge
- Anchovies, at least 4 fillets (I use the salt-cured anchovies from Gustiamo, which are unbelievably good. Yes, you have to clean them, but that is time well-spent.)
- Olive oil, at least 1/4 cup, if not more
- About 8 ounces orecchiette or farfalle or, you know, anything will work
- Broccoli raab, about a pound
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Clean the anchovies and slice or chop the garlic; I don’t like it too small. Put them in a small skillet with the olive oil over very low heat. They’re done when the garlic is lightly browned and the anchovies are broken up. Don’t rush them; they’ll be done before the pasta is. If they finish first, they can sit in the oil until you’re ready.
Add the pasta when the water’s boiling. Cook it as usual. Meanwhile, cut the last quarter inch off the bottom of the broccoli raab and roughly chop the rest — like 1-inch pieces. But rough.
When the pasta is about 80 percent done — with three or four minutes to go — add the greens. (Better to under- or overcook the greens than to screw up the pasta, but this is a guessing game. Chopped broccoli raab is pretty reliably done in three minutes or so, so judge accordingly.) Reserve a little of the cooking water and, when the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot. Add the anchovy mix over super-low heat; if the mixture is dry, add more oil and/or some of the cooking liquid and serve.
No cheese. And yes, you can use other greens, from spinach to collards; cooking time will vary. You’ll never miss the sausage.
– Recipe developed by Mark Bittman