- 400g/14oz dried penne pasta
- 1 x 50g/1¾oz tin anchovies in olive oil, oil reserved
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (use half if you prefer less heat)
- 1 head of broccoli (about 350g/12oz), chopped into very small florets
- salt and black pepper
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in a large saucepan of salted boiling water.
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Pour 1½ tablespoons (or as much as there is in the tin if it doesn’t make 1½ tablespoons) of the anchovy oil into the pan and, once hot, add the anchovies and the garlic, breaking the anchovies up with a wooden spoon as they cook. Cook gently until the anchovies have melted into a paste. Add the chilli flakes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low until the pasta is ready.
- When the pasta is two minutes away from being ready, add the broccoli to the pan with the pasta. Continue to cook for two minutes and then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Tip the pasta and broccoli into the pan with the anchovies and stir well to coat everything in the anchovy sauce. If the anchovies are too thick or the pasta a little sticky, then add a dash of the pasta water, stir and continue to add until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve.