Recipe & photography by Ed Barrow.
Ingredients
200g of purple sprouting broccoli
20g of butter
1 large banana shallot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon ,zest only
80ml of single cream
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Generous glug of dry white wine
150g of Northern Pasta Co Conchigliette
30g of Parmesan, finely grated
Method
Start by placing a large pan of salted water onto to boil.
Drizzle the broccoli with a little olive oil and rub all over. Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat and leave to get hot. Once hot add the broccoli and press down with a masher or spatula. Leave to gain some good colour on the broccoli for 3-4 minuets before turning over and cooking on the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, place on a chopping board and leave to one side.
Turn the heat down to low on the pan and add the butter. Once melted add the shallot and fry for 3 minuets until translucent. Add the garlic and lemon zest along with the white wine.
Using a large knife, roughly chop through the broccoli into small even chunks. It’s good to keep a varied texture in this part, leaving some bits a bit bigger than others. Add the chopped broccoli to the pan with the shallots along with the cream and basil. Add a splash of the boiling water and season well with salt and pepper. Leave to gently simmer whilst you cook the conchigliette.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes or until al-dente.
Drain the pasta once cooked and add to the pan with the sauce. Add a small splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce a little if needed. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan and then toss together for a minute or so until everything is well combined.
Divide between 2 bowls and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top.
