Baked Romanesco Broccoli With Mozzarella And Olives Recipes

BAKED ROMANESCO BROCCOLI WITH MOZZARELLA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Put a large pot of well-salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut broccoli into quarters and trim away the core and any tough bits. Chop quarters into rough 2-inch cubes. Transfer to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
• Lightly oil an earthenware baking dish. Arrange blanched broccoli in one layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Tear mozzarella slices and scatter over the top, then sprinkle with pecorino. Arrange olives here and there. In a small bowl, stir together capers, anchovy, garlic, red pepper and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese has browned a bit and broccoli is tender when pierced with a fork. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with a good pinch of dried oregano.

ROASTED ROMANESCO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. Place the romanesco in a large mixing bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss gently with your hands to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again. Spread the romanesco across the baking sheet and sprinkle additional salt and pepper if desired. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the tips of the vegetables start to turn brown. When the vegetables are tender crisp, they are ready to eat. Enjoy!

BROCCOLI PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Set a pot of water to boil. When the water boils, add salt and the pasta. Check the suggested cooking time on the pasta package and cook the pasta for half of that time. This is very important in order to prevent the noodles from overcooking. When the pasta is done - halfway through normal cooking time - drain and run the cooked pasta under cold water to quickly bring it to room temperature. Season with olive oil and set aside.
• Clean and cut the broccoli into thin slices, florets and stem altogether. The thinner the slices, the quicker it will cook. Add the sliced broccoli, butter and 100 ml water to a pot and set on high heat. Keep covered and stir occasionally in order to distribute the melting butter all around. When the water reaches boiling temperature, lower the heat and keep steaming the broccoli with the lid on for a few more minutes. Remove the broccoli from the heat when tender but still bright green.
• Transfer steamed broccoli to a tall container and add the creme fraiche and the parmigiano. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. The parmigiano should give some flavour to this mash, but add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
• Combine the cooked pasta, broccoli purée and diced mozzarella and give it all a good stir to ensure all the pasta gets nicely coated in broccoli purée. Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle remaining Parmigiano on the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200°C with the broil setting.

ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER PASTA WITH OLIVES, CAPERS, AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the center position.
• Trim and discard the base of the romanesco and cut it in half, then quarters. Standing each quarter upright and holding your knife at an angle, trim the florets from the core. Most of the florets will fall off or can be separated easily with your fingers (you want the florets to be no larger than an inch in diameter); cut any larger florets in half with a knife to match the size of the other florets.
• Place the florets on a half sheet pan and toss with 1 heaping tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Distribute the florets cut-side down into an even layer, making sure that the florets aren't touching one another if possible. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway, or until caramelized and tender.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring continuously, or until fragrant. Do not allow it to gain color. Add the kalamata olives, capers, and red pepper flakes to the pan, and sauté for an additional minute or until warm. Taste for salt and pepper. Add half of the parsley to the skillet and keep the mixture warm - off the heat - as you cook the pasta.
• Boil the pasta until it is al dente, reserving 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the kalamata olive and caper mixture and roasted cauliflower. Toss the mixture together gently, adding the remaining chopped parsley, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil and some reserved pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese as desired.