Recipe: Broccoli and Garbanzo Beans with Penne

This artisanal Italian pasta recipe calls upon our Koroneiki, a robust extra virgin olive oil with green aromas, a peppery tickle, and a fruity zing.

Paired with broccoli, seared garlicky garbanzo beans, and a barely-there parsley sauce, Koroneiki really picks up the vegetable and slightly spicy notes of this dish. Enjoy this vegetarian entrée any night of the week. Add crumbled sausage to the mix if you want meat, or top with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli, thick stalks removed, chopped into florets

• ½ pound penne or other tubular pasta

• 5 tablespoons The Olive Press Koroneiki Olive Oil, divided

• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• Drizzle of Koroneiki Olive Oil, for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and book until very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, remove to a medium bowl, and toss gently with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
2. Bring water back to a boil; add pasta and cook until just under al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water.
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garbanzo beans; cook until just lightly browned, stirring, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until just fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute.
4. Add reserved broccoli, pasta, and most of the parsley to the skillet; stir gently to mix well. Add reserved pasta cooking water; simmer until slightly thickened. Season to taste.
5. Serve immediately with a few extra glugs of olive oil over the pasta.