Another Noodle

Hey there friends! You know we couldn't let a summer season pass us by without pulling out our spiralizer. The summer is the perfect time to experiment with alternate and lighter "noodle" options. We were inspired by broccoli this summer and the idea of using the entire plant - and boy we did! A little less common than the famous zucchini noodle (previous post here) though just as good. So get out your spiralizer that may or may not have been hiding away in your cupboard and join us!

For this recipe we used ALL of the fresh, organic broccoli that we purchased at our local farmers market. Even more of a plus if you are purchasing broccoli by the pound - you are paying for that stalk so use it! The stalks we spiralized into broccoli noodles (boodles?) with success, though it was slightly trickier than spiralizing zucchini. We looked for broccoli with large, wide stalks to maximize the boodle outcome. If you have a spiralizer with multiple settings, we found the boodles to be good at any thickness though we used the larger noddle setting. The boodles did tend to break into smaller pieces unlike zucchini noodles which can get very long without breaking. This was due to variations in shape of the broccoli stalk that is different than a zucchini. The broccoli florets we chopped and cooked as usual though we also used the small leaves that can be found nestled between the florets. The leaves are small and tender, cook down well, and taste very similar to dark leafy greens. So no need to create broccoli waste again! The whole plant can be eaten and enjoyed with this recipe.

Broccoli Florets, Leaves, and Noodles with Walnuts and Roasted Garlic
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
Roasted garlic
1 head garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Pasta
2 stalks of broccoli with florets and leaves
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 head roasted garlic cloves
1 cup roasted walnut pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4  cup dry white wine
1/4-1/2 cup water
1-2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved (or other salty hard cheese) 
Juice of 1 lemon 
Salt and pepper to taste  

To roast garlic, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice garlic in half and drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil then place in a garlic roaster (or loosely wrapped in tinfoil) and roast for 45 minutes.

Wash broccoli and cut florets and leaves from the stalks and set aside. Try to cut high on the stalk to preserve as much stalk as possible for spiralizing. Use a spiralizer with the medium noodle attachment to make broccoli "noodles" with the broccoli stalks then set aside. In a medium-large sauté pan add 2 Tbsp olive oil and diced onion and sauté for 20-25 minutes or until the onion is golden. Add broccoli florets, broccoli leaves, and peeled roasted garlic cloves to the pan along with 1/4 cup dry white wine and 1/4 cup water. Place a lid over the pan, reduced to a simmer, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat and add broccoli "noodles", roasted walnuts, shaved Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine all flavors then serve immediately.

*This dish does change color as it sits (lemon juice reacting with chlorophyll in the broccoli - food science!), so for the best texture and presentation we recommend eating this noodle dish right away!

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That's all there is to it. Grab a couple stalks of broccoli and a few simple ingredients and you have a whole dish! This recipe has a great mix of texture from the different forms of broccoli - crunchy boodles and softer florets - and a unique array of flavors from earthy broccoli leaves to sweet caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Your summer dinner solution is here.

Enjoy,
Jess and Cecelia