Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pasta Recipe

Fill and boil your kettle. Give the broccoli a wash; trim away and discard just the very ends of the stalks. Next, cut the florets away from the stalks, and cut the stalks into short lengths (about 2.5cm). Fill a large, deep pan with boiling water and, when bubbling away, drop in the stalks. Let them blanch for two minutes, then use a slotted spoon to lift them out on to a plate. Next, put the florets into the boiling water and blanch for one minute, before lifting them out and placing them on the plate beside the stalks. Bring the water in the pan back up to a rolling boil and add your pasta, cooking it for the time specified on the pack (usually around 10 minutes).  

Meanwhile, place a frying pan on a low-medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, chilli and anchovies and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is just soft. Put the broccoli stalks into the pan and cook for about five minutes, still stirring. The pasta should be ready by now; if this is the case, put the broccoli florets into the frying pan and stir them in to heat through briefly. Drain the cooked pasta, but keep back a mug of the cooking water. Toss the pasta in the sauce (add a splash of the cooking water if you think it looks a bit dry), then check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Take to the table straight away with the cheese for scattering over.