Charred Broccoli Puttanesca

This exact puttanesca could be used as a pasta sauce SO for the the sake of your SHOPPING LIST I am only going to put the puttanesca sauce ingredients so that you can use this delicious, tangy tomato sauce however you see fit.

PUTTANESCA SHOPPING LIST: tomato paste, red wine, chicken stock, red onion, garlic, kalamata olives, capers, honey, salt, pepper, red pepper flake

For this particular recipe, I was trying to do something unique with a giant batch of fresh broccoli. Last time I made the Broccoli Cheddar Casserole (which was delish). Both recipes start off the same: Remove the florets from 2 lb. of broccoli. Coat the broccoli in melted coconut oil and season with salt and pepper and lay onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Set aside.

Now for the PUTTANESCA! Dice your entire red onion very finely. In a large saucepan, like the kind that comes up higher on the sides, heat 2 tB. of olive oil over medium heat and saute your entire diced onion with 2 tB. of chopped garlic. Season your onions and garlic with salt and pepper and sweat until translucent. Add 3 tB. of tomato paste and mix well – it will seem like your paste is just getting stuck in your onions, give it a second to meld and then add our liquids — 2 tB. (or one turn around the pan) of red wine, 3/4 cup of chicken stock (or veg. stock if you want to be vegan/vegetarian) and 1 tB. of honey. Bring to a simmer, continuing to stir until your tomato paste has melted into the liquids. Allow your sauce to simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tB. of capers and 2 tB. of halved kalamata olives and season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of red chili flakes if you want your puttanesca to be spicy.

When your sauce is ready, add your par-roasted broccoli into the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until the broccoli are warmed through and coated in the puttanesca — If you are using the sauce for pasta, add your par-cooked pasta DIRECTLY into the saucepan and continue cooking for 3 minutes in the simmering sauce. Before serving, add 1/4 cup of salted de-shelled pistachios as your finishing touch.