Central Italy•healthy

Romanesco broccoli pasta soup

A delicious traditional soup from Rome made with beautiful Romanesco broccoli. This soup is tasty, healthy and warming.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

200 g spaghetti or ditalini ((7oz) spaghetti needs to be broken into pieces)
1 medium Romanesco Broccoli (washed and cut into florets)
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/2 fresh red or green chili pepper (peperoncino) (cleaned of seeds and chopped into small pieces)
5 anchovy fillets (you can use salted or preserved in oil)
2 potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)
2 cups vegetable stock
200 g cherry tomatoes ((7oz) washed)
3-4 tbsp tomato passata (You can use more passata if you don't have fresh tomatoes)
salt (to taste)
fresh parsley (optional)
30 g parmesan or grana cheese grated (optional)
black pepper (to taste)

1
Heat two to three tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan or skillet, add the peeled garlic cloves and let them soften.
2
Add the anchovy fillets cut into pieces and let them melt, then add the chili pepper (peperoncino) cut into small pieces, cherry tomatoes and Romanesco broccoli florets. stir and cook for 5 minutes
3
Add the potato pieces and tomato passata and two to three cups of water or vegetable stock.
4
Continue to cook covered for 10 minutes and then add salt and pepperto taste and the pasta.
5
Cook until the pasta and Romanesco broccoli are both still a little al dente (firm). Remove the garlic.
6
Serve hot with a dash of extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan or grana, black pepper and chopped parsley as required.