Dr. Elena Afanasyeva , graduated in Food and Human Nutrition with honors from the Universities of Pavia and Milan, illustrates the properties of broccoli, a very delicious seasonal vegetable rich in precious micronutrients.
Broccoli is a typical vegetable of the winter months, originally from southern Italy. It belongs to the Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae) family - along with cauliflower, cabbage, savoy cabbage, kale, red cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnip greens and turnips. Its importance from a nutritional point of view is due to the content of fiber and precious micronutrients such as potassium, calcium, iron, folate and vitamin C. It also contains compounds - isothiocyanates (sulforaphane) - with protective action for some types. of cancer (bladder, breast, lung, intestine, prostate). It is preferable to steam the Brassicaceae or boil it briefly (less than 10 minutes) in a little salted water to preserve the micronutrient content.
The recommended recipe. Orecchiette with broccoli
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Orecchiette (dry pasta) 320 g
or fresh pasta 400 g
Fresh broccoli 400 g (or frozen)
Desalted anchovy fillets 4 fillets
Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
1 clove of garlic
Chilli 10 g
Method:
- Drain the anchovy fillets and rinse them under water to reduce the salt content.
- Cut the broccoli and cook them in a pan with a few tablespoons of water for 7-8 minutes.
- In a non-stick pan, gently brown a clove of garlic - which we will then remove - with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, then add the chilli (if desired) and the anchovy fillets, add the broccoli and add two tablespoons of water and cook all over moderate heat for a few minutes.
- Cook the orecchiette in plenty of lightly salted boiling water.
- Mix the orecchiette with the sauce obtained and add 1-2 tablespoons of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Note:
- as an alternative to broccoli it is possible to use turnip greens, fresh or frozen.
- to make the recipe tastier, add a few tablespoons (2-3) of pan-fried breadcrumbs.