Blond Puttanesca

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Chop the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Check the Castelvetrano olives for pits, remove if present, then roughly chop. Drain and chop the roasted red peppers. Zest and halve the lemon.

Once the water is boiling, add the rotini and cook until al dente, about 8 to 12 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta. Return the cooked rotini to the pot off heat, and toss with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned in places, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic and capers and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped olives, chopped roasted red peppers, dried oregano, and as much or as little of the red chile flakes as you’d like, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Add the rotini, broccoli, reserved pasta water, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the juice from the lemon, lemon zest, and just half of the parmesan. Taste blond puttanesca and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Divide the blond puttanesca between large plates or bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Mangia!