Penne With Broccoli

Photo: flickr user pnoeric

Ingredients

1 cup Penne (quill-shaped pasta)

1/2 pound Broccoli

1 tablespoon Olive oil

2 Cloves garlic, minced (up to 3)

Red pepper flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Grated parmesan

Preparation

Here are two recipes I adapted from Andrew Weil's SPONTANEOUS HEALING using broccoli, which is supposed to have all sorts of nutrients and special qualities. I also read (elsewhere) that some people are genetically predisposed to HATE broccoli and similar vegetables, so if you don't like it, don't feel guilty. Feel better, President Bush?

Bring pasta pot full of water to a boil (covered to heat more quickly). Add salt and cook penne until tender. Meanwhile, wash broccoli. Cut off the flowers and separate into bite-size chunks. Peel stems and cut into slices.

Heat the olive oil and cook the garlic a few seconds, stirring so as not to let it burn. Throw in the broccoli with the water clinging to it and cover to let steam until the broccoli is bright-green and still crunchy-tender, no more than five minutes or so. Add seasonings and a little water to produce steam if necessary, or remove lid to boil off the liquid if too wet. Drain penne, but reserve a little of the pasta water in case it's needed. Add cooked penne to the broccoli. Sprinkle over a little of the pasta water if it's too dry and serve with parmesan cheese.