Broccolini: It Makes The Trains Run On Time

I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli. -- George H. W. Bush

I feel for you, George, because frankly, I agree: if you get to be the President, you shouldn't have to eat anything you don't want to. You have a hard enough job as it is.

But broccoli is a tough choice for the hateration, because broccoli is the only health food left that hasn't been denounced as something that will kill you. Seafood was okay until it came out that the mercury content in fish can decrease heart health. Spinach was okay until that nasty E. coli outbreak. Broccoli is the last thing to avoid the nutritional blacklist.

It's a good thing that I like broccoli.




Broccolini-Mushroom Pesto Pasta


Confession: I didn't use broccoli for this recipe, although you certainly could; I used broccolini, a broccoli-kai lan (Chinese broccoli) hybrid that has a milder flavor. You'll find that the sauce is surprisingly creamy -- especially if you are generous with the olive oil.

1 lb campanelle pasta, cooked
1 bunch broccolini
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp pine nuts
pepper, salt, red pepper flakes to taste
grated myzithra cheese, to taste

*Roughly chop the broccolini into manageable pieces and steam. (My method is to put a steamer basket in a pot, fill it with water until it touches the bottom of the basket, put the veggies in the basket, cover, and set on the stove on high for 7 minutes.)

*In a frying pan, saute the garlic on medium in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until softened, about two minutes. Add the mushrooms and the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and saute until the mushrooms are soft and brown -- about 6 minutes.

*Put the broccolini and the mushroom mixture in a food processor or blender and blend. Slowly add in the remaining olive oil until the texture is at your preferred smoothness.

*Toss with pasta and top with myzithra. Serve immediately, if not sooner.