Orecchiette with Broccoli & Pancetta

One should begin cleansing in preparation for next week's Thanksgiving bounty, but here's a little pasta recipe that puts broccoli (I hear the boos) and bacon (pancetta) (there, don't you feel better, now?) in your pasta. Enjoy (from the Amateur Gourmet).

Orecchiette with Pancetta and Broccoli

Ingredients (Adam neglects to quantify - so use your judgment):

• orecchiette
• pancetta
• broccoli
• garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• dried pepper / dried red pepper flakes

Put two pots of water on the stove and get them boiling. Add salt to both. Once rapidly boiling, add the broccoli [about 1/2 lb, since I was cooking for 1, the recipe itself calls for 1 lb], chopped into little florets. Cook until soft, or if you prefer it crisper, cook for about 1 minute, then drain in the sink.

Slice one clove of garlic and cut about 2 thickish slices of pancetta into thin matchstick strips.

Add the orecchiette to the other pot of boiling water and pour 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Heat pan and add the garlic and pancetta. Stir it around and let it cook, careful not to burn the garlic. Cook until pancetta is soft, not crispy. When the garlic starts getting golden, add the broccoli and red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes more to let all the flavors meld. You should time it so the pasta is done just when the broccoli's been in there for a few minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet.

Pour into a bowl and cover with freshly grated Parmesan cheese:

[From Adam's post, which mostly appears above: "Well I have to say this is going to be a standard for me now. I loved this dish. It's wonderfully complex and the components are so simple. Here's what you get in your mouth: the smokiness of the pancetta, the flavor-charge of garlic and red pepper, the brightness of the broccoli, the perkiness of the cheese. The textures great too: orecchiette apparently means little ears. It's a nice alternative to your humdrum tubes and spirals. Make sure you only cook til al dente---taste as you go, that's what I do. How, without burning your mouth? Take it out of the boiling water with a spoon, bring it to the sink, run some cold water over it and taste. It should be firm to the tooth (that's what al dente means)."]