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Pasta con i broccoli affogati is a southern Italian dish where broccoli is braised in red wine until it turns soft and olive-green, then tossed with short pasta. Affogati means drowned, and that’s the technique: the florets simmer in wine and a little water instead of being blanched.
The base is a soffritto of onion cooked slowly in olive oil, with anchovy, olives, raisins and pine nuts adding salt, sweetness and crunch. The texture of the broccoli, not cream or butter, makes the sauce.
One judgment call matters here. If you stop at 10 minutes, the broccoli is still bright green and the wine tastes sharp. Keep going for the full 20 minutes, until a stem collapses when you press it with a spoon.
The whole dish takes 55 minutes, uses one pan and one pot, and runs on pantry staples plus two broccoli crowns.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cheap ingredients, mostly from the pantry and fridge
- Broccoli cooks down into a spoonable, savory sauce
- Sweet raisins and salty anchovy balance the red wine
- The sauce reheats well and freezes without the pasta
Ingredient Notes
- broccoli: Use standard green broccoli crowns and keep the stems. Peeled and sliced, they turn sweet and thicken the sauce. Cauliflower works with the same timing.
- anchovy fillets: Oil-packed fillets melt into the soffritto and leave a savory base, not a fishy one. Swap 1 tbsp chopped capers if you skip them.
- dry red wine: Pick something you’d drink, like Nero d’Avola or a basic Montepulciano. Avoid anything oaky or sweet.
- pecorino romano: Sharp and salty, so taste before adding more salt. Caciocavallo is the more traditional choice if you can find it, and aged provolone is a fair substitute.
- ditalini: Short tubes catch the broken-down broccoli. Broken spaghetti or small shells work with the same cooking time.
Pasta con i Broccoli Affogati: Braised in Red Wine
Ingredients
Method
- Bring 4 L / 4 quarts of water to a boil in a 5-quart / 4.7 L pot. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a 20 cm / 8-inch dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant, then tip them onto a plate.
- Heat the olive oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch deep sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and pale gold.
- Add the garlic, anchovies and chili flakes. Stir for 2 minutes until the anchovies dissolve into the oil and the garlic smells sweet but hasn't browned.
- Add the broccoli, olives, raisins, wine, water and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the stems are fork-tender and the florets collapse into an olive-green sauce. If it's still bright green at 10 minutes, keep going.
- When 10 minutes of braising remain, salt the boiling water with 2 tbsp salt and cook the dried ditalini or broken spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package time. Reserve 250 ml of the pasta water, then drain.
- Add the drained pasta to the broccoli with 120 ml of the pasta water. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce clings to the pasta and no liquid pools in the pan.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in half the pecorino, the toasted pine nuts and black pepper. Serve at once in warm bowls with the remaining pecorino.
Notes
- Keep the pan covered during the braise so the broccoli steams and simmers at once.
- Taste before adding salt at the end, since anchovy, olives and pecorino are all salty.
- Reserve 250 ml pasta water before draining, and use about 120 ml to bind the sauce.
- Toast the pine nuts until golden but watch them, as they burn in seconds.
Tips for Success
- Peel the thick broccoli stems and slice them into 1 cm coins, since they braise into the sweetest, softest part of the sauce.
- Cook the onion for a full 8 minutes over medium-low heat until pale gold, because a rushed soffritto leaves a raw edge under the wine.
- Stir the anchovies into the hot oil for 2 minutes until they dissolve, which seasons the sauce without any fishy taste.
- Pull the pasta 1 minute before the package time and finish it in the broccoli with 120 ml pasta water so it absorbs flavor.
- Add the pecorino off the heat, otherwise it clumps into stringy bits instead of melting into the sauce.
Variations
- Swap half the broccoli for cauliflower florets and add a pinch of saffron to the wine for a nod to Sicilian arriminati.
- Use dry white wine instead of red for a paler, brighter sauce, and add a squeeze of lemon at the end.
- Skip the anchovies and pecorino, add 1 tbsp capers, and top with olive oil toasted breadcrumbs for a vegan plate.
Storage and Reheating
Pasta con i broccoli affogati keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce, so it looks drier on day two.
Reheat in a 28 cm / 11-inch skillet over medium-low heat with 2 to 3 tbsp water for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until hot throughout. The microwave also works: cover the bowl and heat in 90-second bursts, stirring between each.
For freezing, freeze the sauce alone for up to 2 months and cook fresh pasta when you reheat. Cooked pasta turns soft after freezing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pasta con i broccoli affogati straight from the pan in warm shallow bowls, with extra pecorino and a thread of olive oil on top. A small pinch of chili flakes at the table suits anyone who likes more heat.
An orange and fennel salad on the side cuts through the wine and anchovy. Crusty bread is useful for the sauce left at the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the same dry red you cooked with. A light Nero d’Avola or Frappato keeps the meal consistent.
FAQ
Why does my pasta con i broccoli affogati taste sharp and look bright green?
The broccoli was pulled too early. Braise it covered for the full 20 minutes, until the stems give way to a spoon and the florets turn olive-green and start to collapse. By then the wine has mellowed and the anchovy and raisins round out the sauce.
Can I use white wine instead of red wine for broccoli affogati?
Yes, use the same 150 ml of dry white wine, such as Grillo or Vermentino. The sauce will look paler and taste brighter, with less depth than red. I prefer red because it colors the broccoli darker and stands up to the anchovy and olives.
How do I make pasta con i broccoli affogati without anchovies?
Replace the 6 anchovy fillets with 1 tbsp rinsed, chopped capers and an extra 1/4 tsp salt. You lose some savory depth, but the olives carry most of it. For a vegan version, skip the pecorino and top with breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil.
Can I freeze the broccoli affogati sauce without the pasta?
Yes, freeze the braised broccoli sauce alone for up to 2 months in a flat freezer bag or container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, warm it in a skillet with a splash of water, and cook fresh pasta to finish. Cooked pasta turns mushy after freezing.
What wine and side dish go with pasta con i broccoli affogati?
Pour the same dry red you cooked with, such as a light Nero d’Avola or Frappato. For a side, serve an orange and fennel salad dressed with olive oil, since the acidity cuts through the anchovy and wine. Crusty bread is handy for the leftover sauce.
What is the difference between broccoli affogati and pasta con i broccoli arriminati?
Broccoli affogati is braised in red wine, which gives a dark, savory sauce. Pasta con i broccoli arriminati is a Sicilian dish of cauliflower stirred with saffron, anchovies, raisins and pine nuts, with no wine. Both share the sweet and salty pairing of raisins and anchovy.