Description
A vibrant and flavorful pasta dish combining tender trofie pasta and purple sprouting broccoli in a savory anchovy, garlic, and preserved lemon sauce, topped with crispy lemon and chili breadcrumbs for a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped, plus 2 tbsp oil from the jar
- 100g butter
- 2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 small preserved lemons, seeds and flesh removed, skin finely chopped
Main Ingredients
- 400g trofie pasta (or another small pasta shape)
- 300g purple sprouting broccoli
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Crispy Breadcrumb Topping
- 150g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 good pinches of dried chilli flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the anchovy sauce: Drizzle the oil from the anchovy jar into a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped anchovies and stir for a couple of minutes to break them up. Add the butter, swirling it until melted and foaming. Stir in the sliced onions and let them sizzle gently for 10 minutes until soft. Then add the garlic and preserved lemon and cook for another minute to release their flavors.
- Cook the pasta and broccoli: Bring a large saucepan filled with kettle-hot salted water to a boil. Add the trofie pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the purple sprouting broccoli to the same pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender. Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
- Make the crispy chilli breadcrumbs: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive or rapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the fresh breadcrumbs and stir regularly until they turn golden and crispy. Remove from heat and mix in the lemon zest and dried chili flakes.
- Combine pasta with sauce: Return the drained pasta and broccoli to the frying pan with the anchovy sauce. Add a good splash of the reserved pasta water and the juice of one lemon. Cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce becomes silky and coats the pasta evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and broccoli mixture and scatter generously with the crispy chilli breadcrumbs to add texture and a spicy, zesty finish.
Notes
- Preserved lemons add a unique tangy flavor; if unavailable, you can substitute with finely grated lemon zest and a small amount of lemon juice, but flavor will differ.
- Trofie pasta is traditional for this dish, but other small pasta shapes like fusilli or cavatappi can be used as alternatives.
- The anchovy fillets dissolve into the butter to create a rich umami sauce, so be sure to break them up well during cooking to distribute flavor evenly.
- Adjust the amount of chili flakes in the breadcrumbs based on your spice preference.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining; it helps loosen the sauce and bind it to the pasta beautifully.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pasta, anchovy, preserved lemon, purple sprouting broccoli, garlic, chili breadcrumbs, Italian pasta recipe, quick pasta dish
