The last three newsletters have been recipes that aren’t recipes. This one is no better.
My parents lived in St. Louis after my dad got out of law school. They talk about a restaurant there that they loved named Rich and Charlies. There were certain recipes that they had often and worked to figure out how to create their own version. One is a salad that they simply call Rich and Charlie’s Salad. Another one is this pasta, which is simply called Pasta con Broccoli. Like many of the recipes I’ve taken from my dad, there are no measurements, you cook by eye and taste. So, here we go with a starting point.
Pasta con Broccoli
1 pound of pasta – I use shells or orecchiette
1 head of broccoli chopped up
4-6 tablespoons of salted butter
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
8 oz of tomato sauce
4-8 oz of cream
parmasean – to taste
I start with the butter in a skillet, melt. Once it has melted, add the garlic for a minute or two. Then add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat until they’re done.
While the mushrooms are cooking, I boil the water. When it’s ready, I toss in some Kosher salt into the water, then cook the pasta. After the pasta has cooked for roughly half of it’s cooking time, I toss in the chopped broccoli. If you put the broccoli in to early, it basically falls apart. I’m trying to get it cooked, but not to mush.
When the pasta and broccoli are done, drain. I put it all back in the pot, then add the sautéed mushrooms. On low heat, I add the tomato sauce. I usually use all 8 ounces. Then I add some cream. Typically I don’t need a whole cup. I usually start with 1/4 of a cup, stir over low heat for a bit, then add more, adjusting to how creamy the dish is turning out. Once I reach a half of a cup, I add some parmesan, and go from there to the texture I desire.
My dad swears that all pasta is better if it cooks on low for a few minutes before serving.
Options: Sometimes I’ve roasted the broccoli and mushroom on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400. I put salt, pepper, and olive oil over them and cook for about 15 minutes. Also, some people toss in a few tablespoons of salted butter into the finished pasta.
Enjoy!
