I’ve been making this dish for more than 50 years.  The reason I know that exactly is that I got it from my High School Friend, Stephanie Hoeye.  If you’ve been around Mesa awhile, you remember Brown and Brown Chevrolet–well, in the 60’s it was Brown and Hoeye Chevy.  That was Steph’s Dad, and she and I  went to Mesa High together.  Steph was class of 63 and we remained friends for many years.   Cooking wasn’t really her “thing”, and  she was the polar opposite of me:  Tall, thin, sophisticated, rich.  And when she made something, it was always ‘fancy’.  Funny how this old dish remains relevant today.  Simple, healthy and absolutely delish!

Pasta ‘a Broccoli

1-2 lbs. broccoli, cut into florets (if you use the stems, chop into dice-sized pieces

4 or 5 cloves sliced garlic

1 cup dry pasta, such as penne, bow-tie or gnocchi

1/4-1/2 cup good olive oil

Shredded parmesan, asiago, or a mix of both

Blanch broccoli in boiling water.  If you use the stems, put them in first, boil about 1 or 2 minutes, and then add florets and blanch about 2 minutes.  Plunge hot Broccoli into ice water and set aside.  Meanwhile, cook pasta about 10 minutes, drain and set aside.

Saute sliced garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until light brown.  Burns easily! (ask me how I know…).  When garlic is soft, add broccoli and toss in oil, cooking about 4 or 5 minutes.  Then add cooked pasta, toss, add olive oil to taste, and serve, topping it all with lots of shredded parmesan.  One of our favorite meals!

Note:  Cook broccoli according to your preference.  Some people like it almost raw, so just leave out the Blanching part….