Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Creamy Sicilian Broccoli & Ricotta Pasta
A comforting, velvety pasta dish that celebrates the earthy sweetness of Sicilian broccoli and the gentle richness of fresh sheep’s milk ricotta.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 1 kg broccoli
- ✓ 320 g pasta, any short shape you like
- ✓ 1 clove garlic
- ✓ 4 salted anchovy fillets
- ✓ 1 fresh red chilli
- ✓ 300 g fresh sheep’s milk ricotta
- ✓ 50 g semi-mature caciocavallo, finely grated
- ✓ Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil
- ✓ Trapani sea salt
📊 Nutritional Information
If you’re craving something that feels both soothing and deeply flavourful, this creamy Sicilian broccoli and ricotta pasta might be exactly what your kitchen needs. In Sicily, broccoli is often cooked until soft and silky, then woven into generous, warming sauces — the sort that cling lovingly to every piece of pasta.
Here the humble broccoli is transformed into a delicate, velvety cream thanks to a spoonful of fresh sheep’s milk ricotta, a little heat from chilli, and the unmistakable savoury hum of salted anchovies melting in the pan. It’s the kind of dish that feels restorative on a chilly day and quietly celebratory when you want something unfussy but deeply satisfying.
With simple ingredients and a straightforward method, this pasta has all the charm of home-style Sicilian cooking — warm, rustic, and beautifully aromatic.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Clean the broccoli and separate the florets.
- 2
Boil the florets in salted water for about 7 minutes, then drain and refresh in iced water to keep their colour bright.
- 3
Finely chop the garlic and deseeded chilli, then gently fry them in a little olive oil.
- 4
Add the salted anchovies and let them melt slowly into the oil.
- 5
Stir in the broccoli and let everything cook together for a couple of minutes.
- 6
Transfer the broccoli to a blender with two tablespoons of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and two tablespoons of caciocavallo. Blend until silky smooth.
- 7
Pour the cream back into the pan and warm it over a lively flame.
- 8
Cook the pasta until al dente, then add it straight to the broccoli cream.
- 9
Loosen with a splash of cooking water and stir through the remaining ricotta until wonderfully creamy.
- 10
Finish with a scattering of grated caciocavallo before serving.
💡 Tips and Variations
For a deeper, nuttier flavour, add a handful of toasted chopped almonds. You can also replace part of the broccoli with seasonal tenerumi (tender Sicilian courgette leaves) when available — they lend a gentle, leafy sweetness.
📦 Storage
- • Keep leftover pasta in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- • Reheat in a pan with a splash of water to restore its creaminess.
- • The broccoli cream alone can be frozen for up to 1 month.
🍷 Pairing
A chilled glass of Grillo works beautifully here — its mineral edge lifts the sweetness of the broccoli and the richness of the ricotta.
Now that you’ve discovered this simple, soulful dish, you can bring the gentle warmth of a Sicilian winter straight to your table. It’s the sort of pasta that comforts, nourishes and never fails to please — perfect for cosy evenings at home.
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