Smitten Kitchen’s “Broccoli Rubble” Pasta Is So Good, I Make It Twice a Week

I recently learned this broccoli trick from Smitten Kitchen, and it has completely changed the way I have pasta nights at home. The method’s been dubbed “broccoli rubble,” and once I tried it the name really clicked. It turns a whole head of broccoli into tiny, flavorful bits that are spooned onto toasted bread for cheesy broccoli melts. With garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon, and plenty of pecorino Romano, it’s bright, savory, and a little punchy. Instead of broccoli melts, I like to toss this mixture with pasta for an easy weeknight dinner. It’s a simple and delicious combination that I’ve been making week after week.

Broccoli rubble is broccoli that’s blanched, chopped into small pieces, and sautéed until crisp-tender. The small pieces of broccoli mix evenly into pasta, clinging to it instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl. It works beautifully with spaghetti, and it’s hearty and satisfying without being heavy.

1. Cook the pasta and prep the broccoli. Boil the spaghetti until al dente. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into large chunks. Blanch the broccoli in a shallow layer of boiling water, drain well, pat dry, and chop into small pieces. 
2. Finish and toss. Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil until fragrant, then add the chopped broccoli and cook briefly. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, grated pecorino Romano cheese, and kosher salt, then toss with the drained spaghetti until combined. 

• Don’t overcook the broccoli. It only takes a couple of minutes to blanch the broccoli, so make sure to set a timer. The broccoli should be bright green and crisp-tender.
• Use it for anything! You can use broccoli rubble as a filling for cheesy baked potatoes, turn it into broccoli quiche, or stir it into creamy risotto. Or make Smitten Kitchen’s broccoli melts!

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Smitten Kitchen's "Broccoli Rubble" Pasta Is So Good, I Make It Twice a Week