Chef Manny’s Blog

Pasta (espargette) with tomatoes & broccoli

This may not seem like a traditional Portuguese recipe but pasta is also consumed through out Portugal, possibly influenced from when the Roman Empire inhabited much of Portugal, building roads, bridges & aqueducts that are still standing today. The tomato pastes may not be as thick but very tasty & fresh.

Start with some olive oil in a skillet or small pan, cut some peeled tomatoes & place in the pan with some bay leaves & salt to taste, (you may also add garlic or onion), I also added a little piri-piri (hot sauce) to give it just a little kick. Place the lid on the pan & let cook for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes dissolve creating nice rich tomato sauce.

Cut up some broccoli (including the stems, thinly sliced) and place in the fresh tomato past, place the lid on the pan & cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

While the pasta is cooking up, heat some water in a pan with a dash of sea salt (to taste) and a drizzle of olive oil. In Portuguese spaghetti is called espargette & what we’re cooking.

serve the paste (espargette) by pouring the tomato-broccoli paste over the pasta & sprinkle with your coice of cheese, if you like. For a healthy alternative to bread, serve with some crackers.

Tags: espargette c broccoli e tomate & cheese, pasta with broccoli tomatoes & cheese

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