Bettina Campolucci Bordi’s Favourite January Recipe: Sexy Broccoli Pasta

Whether you’re taking part in Veganuary or are simply looking for comforting plant-based recipes to get you through the month, this broccoli pasta number from Bettina Campolucci Bordi is sure to fit the bill, which is jazzed up with a secret ingredient: peanut butter.

Veganuary Recipe: Bettina Campolucci Bordi’s Sexy Broccoli Pasta

Happy January! I hope you have all had a restful time. January is the month of many new starts. It is the month of promises, new beginnings, health kicks, trends such as Veganuary and Dry January, as well as indulgent celebrations like Burns Night and Ginuary to look forward to. To me this is the time to be kind to yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I love a clean slate and I am an avid list maker of adventures to be had, things that no longer serve me and experiences that I want to welcome into my life. I have also come to realise that part of being kind to oneself is to do what brings you joy. Food is one of those things to me. I will never grow tired of venturing out to food markets, discovering restaurants or cooking with unsung seasonal hero ingredients. 

Ingredient-wise, we have the hardiest kale varieties that stand up to all weathers, producing leaves in shades of greens or purple when much of the veg plot has little to show. Kale is probably also the easiest brassicas to grow. It is also the time for roots such as parsnips, carrots, celeriac and swede. Often overlooked and sighed at when delivered in a veg box. One of the ingredients I get most excited by are good citrus fruits, blood oranges are on their way and devoured only for a short window followed by bright pink rhubarbs. We have so much to look forward to. 

In the spirit of being kind, one of my go to comfort foods is pasta. Here with a twist along with broccoli for good measure and making sure we tick off some greens in the name of being well along with an indulgent splash of peanut butter for good measure. I am aware that combination might sound a little strange but I urge you to give it a go.

Recipe: Broccoli Pasta

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 250g penne pasta (use gluten free if preferred)
• 230g purple sprouting broccoli
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ red chilli, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• Handful of salted roasted almonds (skinless), chopped
• Olive oil, for frying

Method:

1. Cut the ends/stalks off the broccoli and finely slice them, leaving the broccoli heads intact.
2. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large frying pan to cover the base.  Add the garlic and chilli, and fry for a few minutes on a medium heat.  Then add the sliced broccoli stalks and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the tamari and peanut butter, stir well and simmer for another few minutes.
4. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water (no need to salt) and cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.

Bettina Campolucci Bordi is the founder of Bettina’s Kitchen