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In which broccoli becomes a light, silky pasta sauce

Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

35 minutes

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.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound broccoli, stems and florets separated

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions
  1. 01
    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.
Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

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