Speedy anchovy and broccoli pasta

Portion size: Serves 2
Hands-on time 15 min
Difficulty: easy

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

This is a sustainable and budget-friendly winner of a dinner. Capturing the residual heat of boiling water is all that’s needed to warm the sauce for this pasta through, meaning you only use one hob for less than 5 minutes total time. Sizzled anchovies add plenty of umami, which seasons the broccoli along with chilli, fennel, a touch of acidity from the vinegar and a little cheese.

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Ingredients

180g trofie (or any other dried pasta)
6 anchovy fillets in oil, plus 1 tbsp of the oil they’re stored in
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 broccoli, finely sliced (we used a mandoline)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Parmesan, finely grated, to serve (optional)

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Method

You’ll need a heatproof bowl that sits snugly on top of a large saucepan without any gaps (so it works as a lid but isn’t touching the water). Fill the pan with boiling water from the kettle, season with salt, then return to the boil over a high heat. Add the pasta, cover with the bowl, bring back to an energetic simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, keeping the bowl in place and set a timer for the cooking time of the pasta minus 2 minutes (so if the pack says 8 minutes, set a timer for 6).
Meanwhile, put the anchovies and their oil in the bowl above the pan and stir to help them break down as they heat through. Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil along with the chilli flakes and fennel seeds. Cook for 1 more minute to infuse, then stir in the broccoli slices. Keep stirring the broccoli around in the oil to help it warm through until the timer goes off.
Remove the bowl, then drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Tip the pasta back into the pan, then add the broccoli mixture along with a little of the cooking water. Mix well over a medium heat until all combined and the pasta is coated in a glossy sauce (about 1-2 minutes at the most). Stir in the vinegar and serve sprinkled with the remaining oil and some grated parmesan (if you like).
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