Broccoli Pasta With Salami Bread Crumbs
Turn those last slices of salami into a terrific crispy topping for this quick weeknight pasta meal. Simply chop and toast them up in olive oil with bread crumbs until golden and crunchy, for savory meaty bites that complement the veg-heavy pasta. Chopping the florets into smaller pieces helps them cook faster and also guarantees scoopable pasta with broccoli in each bite. Leftovers make a fantastic cold pasta salad the next day, and the bread crumb topping can be refrigerated and scattered on green salads in place of croutons.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1pound orecchiette or other short pasta
- Salt and pepper
- 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2ounces sliced salami, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
- ½cup panko bread crumbs
- ½cup finely chopped white onion
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 12ounces broccoli florets, chopped into bite-size pieces (4 1/2 cups)
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ¼cup chopped chives
Instructions
Step 1
Boil pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and drain. Set the pot aside for step 4.Step 2
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add salami and bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread crumbs are golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Wipe out skillet.Step 3
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the onion to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add broccoli, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but with some texture left, 5 minutes.Step 4
Return the drained pasta to the pot and add the broccoli mixture, butter, red pepper and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook over medium, stirring vigorously, until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more of the reserved pasta water if a saucier pasta is desired. Turn off heat, add lemon juice, cheese and chives and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.Step 5
Divide pasta among bowls and top each with some of the salami bread crumbs and more cheese. Serve warm.