Broccoli Pesto Pasta (orecchiette ai broccoli)

Always a crowd pleaser. 

I first had this dish in southern Italy and fell in love. There are different variations,  but this is the version I  have settled on for years and it's always a huge hit. It's a great way to get vegetable-phobes to eat something green. My little brothers were very picky eaters but fell in love with this at 4 and 6 when all they claimed they  would eat was white pasta. I made my brother Ethan help me cook, taught him not to fear the cheese and gave him instructions like, "put one butt-load of cheese on this pasta" and I had him. It's still one of his favorites.   

I recently made this for a British friend I met in India and he loved it.  I made it again for my sister's family  (Brits and Canadians) on thanksgiving week and they loved it too. I'm adding it now at my sister's mother-in law Maggie's request. 

Here you go, Maggie!

Ingredients: (serves 4) 

6 anchovy filets with some of their oil for flavor
6 cloves of garlic (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp.Crushed dried red chilli pepper (pepperoncini)
1/2 cup olive oil ( I like organic extra virgin, Italian, Spanish, or Greek origin)
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (must be the real deal, the flavor is essential, no weird American "Stella" brand substitution--you can get real parm at trader joes or whole foods)
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano (also WF or TJs)
1-2 large heads broccoli - at least a pound
1/2 box Orecchiette pasta (or penne)
4 quarts water
salt and pepper

Directions:

Start by boiling a large pot of salted water while you roughly chop the florets off the broccoli and throw the stalks away ( how you chop doesn't matter, pay no attention to shape). When the water boils, add the chopped broccoli and turn the water down to a simmer and forget about it for a while. You are going to let the  broccoli cook until it's mushy so timing isn't a big deal. While it cooks, peel the garlic and chop it into thin slices. 

Put the anchovy filets,  a few tbs of olive oil, the red chilli flakes, and the sliced garlic into a frying pan over medium low heat. Pay close attention to this part--don't burn the garlic. If the garlic turns at all brown throw it all out and start again - it will ruin the flavor. Cook slowly until the garlic is soft   and only slightly golden and start to mush it in with the anchovy with the back of a wooden spoon. 

Check the broccoli, when it's soft use a slotted spoon to add it to the anchovies but keep the water on simmer. Keep cooking  the oil/anchovy mixture on medium low  while you mash the broccoli into it. If it gets dry, add some water from the  broccoli pot.  Keep cooking and mashing until there are no more large chunks of broccoli.    

Turn up the broccoli water pot until it comes back to a boil and then add the orecchiette pasta (It's traditionally made with Orecchiette- ear-shaped pasta- but Penne or fusilli also work). Add the pasta to the water and cook until it's al dente. While it boils grate the cheese finely using a cuisinart if you have it or a microplane. Turn the heat off the broccoli  sauce and add the remaining oil and mix it in well. Drain pasta and melt 1 tbs of butter onto the pasta in the colander and mix it around (putting butter and cheese on pasta pre-sauce is an Italian trick I learned that makes a big difference and helps the sauce "stick"),. Sprinkle cheese on pasta in rounds and then add the pasta to the sauce. Don't fear the cheese, it's one of the main ingredients, but you can't add it until the end or it will melt in the sauce and create an odd consistency. Use all the cheese except for a little to put on top of each serving. 
Serve and enjoy!

modifications:
Vegan--there really isn't a substitute for the anchovies. I've tried lots of salt, but it doesn't compare to the unique brininess the anchovies bring. I guess you could try miso and more garlic and red pepper, but you will  lose the spirit of the dish and there is no substituting the cheese which is an essential ingredient. 
Gluten free- I've had great success using my spiralizer  to make zuccchini pasta, and it tastes great with this sauce. 
Meat- I don't eat mammals anymore, but I've had it and served it with fried Italian sausage for those that need their meat fix.