Thomasina Miers’ recipe for sprouting broccoli tagliatelle - MW

If ever there was a need for simple food, now was the time. Sprouting broccoli is in season, so all stores and markets right now. It is full of essential nutrients, making it perfect for feeding a nation of children who face home learning in the near future. Here I cut broccoli into ribbons so it folds and disappears into a pile of similarly shaped pasta. That, and the incredibly smooth, extravagant sauce, will triumph over many picky children and feed them greens.

Broccoli sprouts with warm garlic and anchovy sauce
This nice sauce takes a little time on the kitchen, but kids can help stir while you prepare broccoli.

Prepare for 15 minutes
Cook for 30 minutes
Server 4

2 cloves garlic, crushed with a pinch of salt
300g creme fraiche, or sour cream or double cream with a small squeeze of lemon
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 egg yolks
140g pecorino or parmesan, plus to serve
500g tagliatelle or other long pasta
200g spear of purple broccoli, trimmed and cut into long strips, or ordinary broccoli or even cauliflower

To make the sauce, you will need to make an appetizer with a bowl that can fit comfortably on a frying pan.

Rub crushed garlic around the bowl, then add Fraeme, anchovies, egg yolks and cheese. Fill the saucepan with a few inches of water and place the bowl on top, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer and stir the ingredients for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce thickens - it will loosen first and then become thicker, but it takes a little patience. Season and season with a pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, and keep warm.

While you are making the sauce, prepare broccoli. Cut the ends and trim any stiffer stems, then cut the rest into thin strips to simulate the shape of the tagliatelle.

Boil a large pan of brine, boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions, add broccoli for the last three minutes until it is completely soft. Drain both, keep half a cup of pasta water, then put both pasta and broccoli in the sauce, and stir to coat each strand. Wait a minute and then add a drop of pasta if necessary, to loosen everything. Check the seasoning again and serve on a hot plate with a little extra cheese.

And for the rest of the week

The sauce is folded into leftover risotto to create cheesy arancini balls. Leave the anchovies and place them on the stewed onion and pancetta for a more meaty version of the dish. The leftover broccoli can be steamed soft and eaten as a snack, brushed through homemade mayonnaise.

MW