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Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato, Spring Onion and Broccolini Stems

Posted on | December 11, 2008 | 1 Comment

(NOTE: I added the cherry tomato after I took the picture, feeling that the color and sweetness would help. It did)

This version of recipe play brings us back to the always important issue of material re-use. Sounds scientific. It’s not. It merely means identifying opportunities to use the moreovers you have from a recipe (broccolini stems, in this instance) in other, creative ways. In these tough economic times, this isn’t only a good use of resources, it’s extremely economical as well.

For those of you who haven’t experienced the wonders of broccoli stems, you’re missing out. Just beneath the tough external skin lives a sweet flesh, perfect for dicing up into batons and eating raw with a nice vinaigrette, or, in this instance, for adding subtle, herbaceous sweetness to a light, primi course pasta.

Chow lists some other ideas foodies have suggested for broccoli stems.

You might notice I’ve used spaghetti a lot lately. Well, if that’s what you have on hand, don’t be afraid to use it. It’s more versatile, in my humble opinion, than many types of pastas and is amenable to a variety of different types of treatment.

If you’re making broccoli for another meal, simply cut the stems and reserve for later. They won’t keep too long, so don’t forget about them in the back of the fridge. They’ll get lonely, and when you finally get around to using them, that neglect will come out in the flavor.

First things first; cook the pasta to al dente in salted water and drain. This dish will not turn out well if you forget the salted water.

Next, approach the broccoli stem. Shave off the rough exterior skin with a veg. peeler. Then, continue with the peeler, turning the stem to shave off even slices. continue until you have what amounts to a rough handful for each small serving of the pasta. I made about three servings.

Now, if you have onion lying around, the acid will be a nice complement. I had green onion, so I shaved it in a like manner.

Now, add a small glug of oil to a saute pan and set it to medium. As soon as the oil heats slightly, add a crushed, but still intact garlic clove. It’s important to flavor the oil slightly, but not to cook the garlic or add it to the dish. As soon as the smell becomes strong (you know, that garlic smell you love) and the garlic begins to brown, remove from the pan.

Add the stems and onion to the oil and saute gently (low-med). You’re just looking to heat them slightly and add the flavor of the garlic oil.

Now, I wanted the subtle flavors to pop, so I opened the cupboard and turned to my old friend Cider Vinegar. I’ve capitalized it here because, well, it deserves the respect.

Add one to one and a half caps full of the CV. to the pan and toss. As always, remember to season appropriately with Mr. S and Mrs. P.

Add halved cherry tomatoes and toss (As always at Recipe Play, I encourage you to experiment with your own vegetable additions. Remember, the goal is for this to be a light, pre-main course pasta dish, or a light lunch. If you come up with something fun, please drop me a line).

Add pasta with tongs and saute ever so slightly, tossing to distribute the ingredients. Add a bit of shaved parm or pecorino romano and toss again once, plating immediately and serving with fresh cracked black pepper.

More later

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