This recipe is adapted from the inimitable Smitten Kitchen. The version below has been through multiple iterations, but the thing I always disliked having to cook the broccoli by steaming or par-boiling it first, because there is a perceptible loss of flavor.
By chopping up the broccoli first, and using a wider, casserole pan, there is enough liquid to cook the broccoli straight in the pan. I used my Magimix cubing accessory, as I needed it to blend the resulting sauce anyway.
Ingredients
100g butter
1 white onion -- chopped
2 garlic cloves -- peeled and smashed
500g broccoli -- about 2 small heads*
250g cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
Prepare broccoli by washing and removing the stem. Cube the head as best as you can, to about 5mm.
Use a wide pan. Melt butter. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add broccoli and salt, and when the pan is hot again, pour in the cream.
If necessary, add just enough water to almost cover the vegetables. If you need to use more than 150ml, transfer to a wider pan.
Add more salt, black pepper, chilli flakes and bay leaf.
Simmer until the broccoli is almost fully cooked.
Remove from heat. Blend until smooth.
Serve over pasta with lots and lots of parmesan, and chilli flakes if desired.
Notes:
This makes a lot of sauce. I would say enough for about 600-800g of dry, long pasta, like linguine.
It freezes very well, and I make it in large quantities for my lunches at home.
When serving over pasta, I cook the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Then I reheat the sauce, stir in the pasta water, and toss the noodles in.
To make broccoli soup: Make a very loose roux-based cream soup, and take it off heat. Warm up the broccoli sauce, then stir in the soup. Start with a little soup first, but once the sauce is loosened up, just pour in the soup. A ratio of about 100g sauce to 200g milk is ideal.
