Traditional spaghetti with garlic, chilli and olive oil is pretty delicious. Throw some broccoli, and crunchy homemade breadcrumbs into the mix and now we’re talking!

To be perfectly honest, as lovely as the traditional dish is, it’s not enough for me, too simple. I love what the pan-fried broccoli brings, it’s fresh and full of texture and who can resist the breadcrumbs heavy on the seasoning and garlic - yum!

First, we need to explain the breadcrumbs; they’re the key, the hero, the wow! Yes, of course, you can buy them, but making your own makes a world of difference, and they’re super easy and AMAZING! I had the ends of a white bloomer from another recipe, so I roughly chopped the bread into chunks and blitzed it to within an inch of its life then lightly fried the crumbs in olive oil with garlic, dried mixed herbs and seasoning until golden. OMG, the smell is immense!

Aside from the deliciousness of these crunchy morsels, they are a pretty fantastic way of reducing food waste too. I hate to waste food, and there is just no need, a little planning is all it takes! I’ve become even more motivated to reduce waste during the lockdown; one of the positives to come out of this situation.

Any broccoli will work, I am using the purple sprouting variety, purely because I love its purpleness, it’s gorgeous. The key is the cooking method, just like roasting greens, pan-frying is very delicious and enhances the flavour. I don’t think I’ll ever boil or steam broccoli ever again - next level.

Aside from the two main ingredients, the dish is brought together with garlic, chilli flakes, a little seasoning (be careful as the breadcrumbs are seasoned) and a good drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Easy but brilliant!

Let’s do it…scroll down for the recipe.

Spaghetti with Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Garlic, Chilli and Breadcrumbs

PREP TIME - 5 MINS  |  COOK TIME 10-15 MINS  |  SERVES 2 | RECIPE TYPE - LUNCH/DINNER

Ingredients

• Enough Spaghetti to serve 2

• 1 small pack of purple sprouting broccoli (approx 150g)

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, or as much as you can handle!

• Olive oil for cooking

• 1 cup or 4 tbsp of fresh breadcrumbs

• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

• Seasoning

Instructions

1. Bring water to the boil to cook the spaghetti.

2. Wash and chop the broccoli into roughly half to 1 inch sized pieces. Keeping the harder stalks separate from the flowery ends.

3. While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a large frying pan and add the broccoli stalks, cook for about 3,4 minutes until softening. add the flowery broccoli ends, minced garlic and season, cook for a further few minutes, turning constantly so that nothing burns. Once cooked, set aside in a large mixing bowl.

4. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and add it straight into the bowl with the broccoli. Add breadcrumbs, chilli flakes and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Mix so that all elements are combined.

5. Portion into bowls, adding a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and more chilli flakes and seasoning if you wish. Serve and enjoy.

My notes and tips

Fresh breadcrumbs are my only advice. Blitz stale bread in a blender or chopper, fry lightly in some olive oil with lots of seasoning, dried herbs and plenty of garlic, powdered or fresh. I use powdered, but only because it keeps it all that bit simpler. Fry until the breadcrumbs are crispy and crunchy, but be careful not to burn them, there’s a fine line between cooked and burnt! If they’re still a little greasy once cooked, lay them on some on a clean, dry tea towel to soak up any moisture. Allow them to cool then keep them in an air-tight container. They’ll keep for at least a week in a cool, dry cupboard - I promise you once you make them fresh, you’ll never buy them ready-made again.

Garlic - I like lots. 3 cloves is a lot, 1 will do in this recipe for those who are not so keen. I’ve probably mentioned it in other recipes but I truly advise to take care with how you cook garlic, it’s very easy to burn it. For this reason I don’t cook it in oil up front, for me the easiest and most fail-safe approach is always to add it to another stage of preparing a dish. In this instance, add it whilst cooking the broccoli flower heads. The other alternative (and it reduces the intensity of flavour) is to roast the garlic in the oven first while still in its casing, for about 15-20 mins at a medium heat, then squeeze out the fleshy paste along with all the other cooked ingredients.

I hope you feel inspired to try this recipe, get in touch and let me know your thoughts.

Check out the Fair Food Forager for inspiration around reducing food and plastic waste, consuming less meat, supporting sustainable seafood, local produce and the ethical treatment of animals. It’s these guys who inspire me to be more conscious and ethical with my food choices.

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