This traditional Sicilian recipe dates back many generations. This hearty soup has a smooth and rich flavor and can be completely changed by replacing the broccoli for cauliflower. Use the same instructions and ingredients below but replace the broccoli with cauliflower to create a completely different soup with a sweeter taste. Both are winners in our home!
Ingredients
- 1 large size head of broccoli or cauliflower, keeping only the florets and their smaller stalks (remove the central stalk)
- 6 cups of water
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup of strained tomatoes or diced tomatoes (I prefer diced tomatoes to get that chunky tomato texture)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 175 grams gluten-free small pasta such as elbows or shells
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- pepper to taste
How to Make It
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic, cooking approximately one minute, or until just tender. Add the broccoli or cauliflower and sauté, covered, on medium-high heat until broccoli is just tender, stirring occasionally. This should take about 15 minutes.
- Add the water and diced or strained tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally. Add more salt if needed. You will most likely not want all the liquid to evaporate; the more the liquid evaporates the heartier and chunkier the soup. I always like to keep some liquid.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta per packagedirections. Drain.
- Add the pasta to the broccoli mixture and stir together.
- Top with cheese and serve.
