Lemon Chiocciole with Broccoli and Asparagus
“I don’t go around promoting beef and poultry, shoving it in people’s faces. I don’t castigate people for not eating steak sandwiches; and I would never diss someone for being a fucking broccoli-head, or living off of radishes, or eating grass, or tofu.”
- Immortal Technique, “Beef and Broccoli“
Since I began cooking for myself regularly, about 5 years ago, meat has slowly disappeared from my diet, and vegetables like kale, cabbage, broccoli and asparagus have, in an almost active sense, colonized my gut. In retrospect, the shift was not intentional, but driven primarily by the convenience and low cost of my neighborhood CSA, and my own unhealthy compulsion to be healthy. The result is a fridge full of greens, and little appetite for meat.
It does make things easier. On most evenings, my pre-dinner thoughts usually come down to simple choices: which greens to pair with which grains tonight?
One of the most satisfying answers I have found to that question is the following recipe, which marries broccoli, asparagus, and pasta under a chuppah of lemon, butter, and Parmesan cheese. When broccoli was first introduced in England in the 18th century, it was called “Italian asparagus”; though not related, the two plants do somehow make sense together, in your mouth. The dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and has a zingy spring taste that is far preferable, certainly, to living off radishes, or eating grass, or tofu.
Lemon Chiocciole with Broccoli and Asparagus
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups broccoli florets
10-12 shoots of asparagus, chopped
4 oz. whole wheat chiocciole pasta
1/8 stick of butter
3 dallops of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook broccoli and asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, erring on the side of crispness. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli and asparagus to a bowl. Add pasta to same boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. In a separate pan, saute garlic and shallot in oil and butter until tender. Add broccoli and asparagus, and stir for one minute.
3. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add contents of pan to pasta; stir in thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Plate, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Neat! Loved the taste. And it was easy to prepare…though I had only spiral pasta…it still came out well.