Pasta con i Broccoli Arriminati
L'Arte dell'Arrangiarsi: Weeknight Cucina Povera
In Palermo, asking for broccoli gets you a cauliflower. Here, a cheap head of it meets stale bread, raisins, and anchovies to create absolute magic. There is no cream, no cheese—just the working-class genius of vigorously stirring starchy pasta water into tender brassica until it collapses into a luxurious, sweet-and-savory emulsion. It is the ultimate expression of cucina povera, translated perfectly for a loud, fast-paced weeknight kitchen.
Before you start
Plump the currants.
Place the currants in a small bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to soften, then drain.
Steep the saffron.
Place the saffron threads in a tiny cup with a splash of warm water to release their color and earthy aroma.
Ingredients
- plain unseasoned breadcrumbs1/2 cup
- extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- white cauliflower1 large
- dried bucatini1 lb
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1 med
- oil-packed anchovy fillets5 small
- Zante currants1/4 cup
- pine nuts1/4 cup
- saffron threads1 pinch
- tomato paste1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1 tsp
Method
- 01
Toast the poor man's cheese.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs, and stir continuously for 3 to 5 minutes until they look like wet golden sand. Immediately scrape them into a small bowl and wipe the skillet clean so they do not burn.
- 02
Boil the cauliflower.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil, drop in the florets, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until easily pierced and slightly falling apart when poked with a fork.
- 03
Rescue the brassica water.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the tender cauliflower out of the pot and set it aside in a bowl, but crucially keep the infused water boiling on the stove to build your sauce and cook the pasta.
- 04
Build the sweet and savory base.
Return the large skillet to medium heat with the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil, sauté the diced onion until translucent, then smash the anchovy fillets into the oil until they dissolve into a savory paste before stirring in the plumped currants and pine nuts.
- 05
Perform the art of the arriminata.
Add the boiled cauliflower to the skillet along with the steeped saffron, the tomato paste, and a half cup of the hot cauliflower water. Using a wooden spoon, mash and stir the florets vigorously into the sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, adding more hot water as it cooks down, until the vegetable completely collapses into a thick, golden cream, then season heavily with black pepper.
- 06
Cook the pasta.
Drop the bucatini into the reserved boiling cauliflower water and cook it for two minutes less than the package instructions for al dente.
- 07
Marry the pasta and sauce.
Using tongs, transfer the undercooked bucatini directly into the skillet over medium-low heat. Toss the pasta vigorously for a minute or two, allowing the hollow tubes to drink up the sauce, adding splashes of starchy water if it looks too dry.
- 08
Serve with the muddica.
Portion the pasta immediately into warm bowls and top generously with the toasted breadcrumbs. Resist the urge to add actual cheese; the savory crunch of the breadcrumbs is exactly what this dish needs.
Notes
Never skip the anchovies.
They are the foundational architecture of the dish. They melt away entirely in the hot oil, leaving behind a deep umami backbone rather than a fishy taste.
Respect the emulsion.
This dish contains absolutely no dairy. The luxurious, creamy texture relies entirely on the mechanical mashing of the cauliflower and the starchy pasta water during the arriminata step.
Sourcing the currants.
Authentic recipes use passolina, a specific Sicilian dried grape, but Zante currants—easily found in standard American baking aisles—are the perfect tart, tiny substitute.