Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leek

Let’s celebrate the rustic charm of Italy – Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leeks . A dish that effortlessly captures the essence of comfort, flavour, and nourishment. This mouthwatering recipe brings together the vibrant freshness of broccoli, the subtle, sweet aroma of leeks, combined with the unique Trofie Pasta from the Linguria region of Italy.

This recipe is not only a feast for the senses but also a wholesome and nourishing option for all the food enthusiasts out there. Whether you’re cooking for a cozy family dinner or hosting a delightful gathering with friends, this dish is sure to impress and delight your guests.

Trofie pasta is short thin twisted pasta from northern Italy, traditionally made with wheat flour and often potato. It boasts a unique, hand-rolled shape that perfectly cradles sauces and ingredients. They are thin, but dense, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture. Paired with the vibrant green hues of tender broccoli and the mild, onion-like essence of leeks, this culinary masterpiece is a celebration of colours, textures, and tastes.

Beyond its exquisite taste, this dish is a nutritional powerhouse. Broccoli, revered for its health benefits, provides an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Leeks, a hidden gem in the vegetable world, enhance the dish with their unique and delicate flavour profile.

In every forkful of Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leeks, you’ll discover the essence of Italian tradition, the beauty of seasonal ingredients, and the satisfaction of a wholesome meal that warms both body and soul. So, gather around the table and immerse yourself in the sheer joy of savouring this Italian-inspired delight! Buon appetito!

What is Trofie Pasta

Trofie pasta is a type oof Italian pasta that originates from Liguria region, located in Norther Italy. The word “Trofie” is derived from Ligurian dialect, which means “twists” or “turns”, accurately describing the pasta’s characteristic shape. Its also believed that the name is derives from the Genoese dialect word strufuggia, meaning to “rub”, which is what you need to do to the dough to create the classic twisted shape.

Trofie pasta is typically made from durum wheat semolina and water, which gives it a firm and chewy texture. Unlike many other types of pasta, Trofie is not extruded or pressed; instead, it is hand-rolled into small, thin pieces of pasta. The process involves taking small portions of dough and rolling them against a flat surface with your hands to create elongated, twisted shapes. The result is a pasta with a unique and uneven appearance that resembles short, corkscrew-like twists.

It is commonly served with traditional pesto sauce, also originating from Liguria, but it can be enjoyed with other sauces, including creamy sauces, tomato-based sauces, or simply tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs.

Ingredients Used to Make Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leeks

• Trofie Pasta: Because of its twisted shape and compact texture, this pasta holds onto the sauce making it an ideal choice. Feel free to use other pasta shapes.
• Extra virgin Olive Oil: for best flavours use a good quality extra virgin olive oil
• Butter: for a creamy texture, to make it vegan substitute with olive oil or vegan butter.
• Broccoli head: You need fresh broccoli for this recipe. But frozen will work if that is all you’ve got on hand.
• Leeks: you’ll need the white and light green parts only.
• Shallots: to add lots of flavour
• Garlic: Fresh roughly chopped garlic cloves are always best. Store-bought jarred garlic will work but it can sometimes have a bitter taste.
• Red Chilli Flakes: I love a hint of spice and I highly recommend using it. For a milder flavour try Aleppo Chilli flakes.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese– freshly grated is BEST here as pre-grated often has caking agents that prevent the sauce from getting creamy.
• Vegetable broth: homemade or store bought
• Seasoning: lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Basil, Parsley and Pine nut Sauce: to give the sauce a brightness.

How to Make Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leeks:

This delicious pasta recipe is super simple to make with very little prep time! The broccoli and leeks are cooked, smashed into a sauce, and then tossed with pasta!

1] Cook the Broccoli and Pasta:

To begin, you first need to cook the broccoli. So bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Next, add the broccoli florets and cook them for 5 minutes. Or steam the broccoli until tender. Remove the broccoli from the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions or until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.

2] Start the sauce:

In a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter starts to sizzle add the chopped leeks and sauté until the leeks are soft and sweet, now add the chopped shallots and garlic and allow them to cook and soften. Next, transfer the cooked broccoli to the skillet along with capers, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add the vegetable broth and cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the broccoli is super soft. Then mash the broccoli with a potato masher or with back of a spoon to create a creamy sauce. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.

3] Make the Basil Sauce

In a small grinder add ½ a cup of cooked broccoli with little vegetable broth handful of basil leaves, and parsley leaves with pine nuts. Add a splash of olive oil and blend until you get a smooth paste. Add this mixture to the broccoli sauce.

4]Add the cooked Pasta

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the pan with the broccoli mash. Then add ½ of the grated parmesan cheese and stir everything together. At this point, if the sauce is too thick just add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin it out. Finally, taste the dish and add more salt and black pepper if needed.

5] Garnish and Serve

After the pasta has been seasoned and cooked, transfer the broccoli pasta to a serving dish. Then garnish it with some more freshly grated parmesan cheese, chilli flakes, basil leaves, and serve with a salad or garlic bread.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make Best Trofie Pasta:

1. Salt your pasta and broccoli water. Add plenty of salt to the broccoli cooking water. This helps to infuse both the broccoli and pasta with flavour as they absorb some of the water.
2. Cook to al dente. Overcooked pasta gets mushy and will fall apart when you toss it together with the mashed broccoli sauce. The pasta needs to be tender but still firm to the bite. 
3. Save some of the water. The reserved broccoli water can be used for reheating the leftovers too by adding some moisture to the pasta and keeping it flavorful.
4. Basil Sauce: Over cooking the broccoli can ruin its beautiful colour. to brighten the lost colour you blend a cup of the cooked broccoli with a little broth, a splash of olive oil and a handful basil and parsley leaves with some pine nuts. Stir back into sauce-  to brighten this up. It adds vibrance.
5. Always USE freshly grated cheese. The cheese should just melt into the sauce. So always grate the cheese freshly. Pre-shredded pecorino or parmesan often have “caking agents” in them-  that prevent cheese from fully incorporating into a sauce- resulting in unpleasant clumping.

Other Pasta Recipes that you will Love:

• Pasta Salad with Roasted Broccoli Pesto
• Best Pesto Mac and Cheese
• Spicy Pasta Arrabiata
• Creamy Pasta with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes

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Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leeks

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 4 voted )

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Ingredients

• 225 grams Trofie pasta
• 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 head broccoli , cut into small florets, equal size
• 1 large leek, rinsed and chopped, white and light green parts only
• 1 shallot, diced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
• ¼ tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp lemon zest 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 350 ml vegetable broth 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

For the Basil Sauce

• ½  cup cooked broccoli 
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• splash of olive oil 

For Garnish 

• basil leaves, chopped or micro 
• chilli flakes
• parmesan cheese 
• drizzle of olive oil 

method

1. Steam small broccoli florets until very tender (easily pierced with a fork) then chop and set aside. OR Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer cooked broccoli to a bowl. Reserve the water. 
2. Bring the reserved broccoli water to a boil and add the pasta . Cook till al dente.  Save a cup of hot pasta water when you drain.
3. In a large pan or skillet, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and butter, add the leeks and sauté over medium heat until the leeks are soft and sweet, add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft. 
4. Now add the steamed/boiled broccoli with chilli flakes, capers and lemon zest and mix well. Add the vegetable broth and cook for 7-8 minutes. Mash the broccoli with the back of a metal stop or a potato masher. As the broccoli cooks will be easier to mash. Add more broth as needed. 
5. In a small mixer grinder add ½ cup of cooked broccoli, basil, parsley and pine nuts. add a good splash of olive oil and little broth. Grind to a smooth paste. 
6. Add this paste to the broccoli sauce along ,cook for a minute.
7. Add the boiled pasta and lemon juice. Toss well. Add more hot pasta water to keep the consistency "saucy". Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the reming olive oil for added richness. Stir in ½ the parmesan cheese. 
8. Serve in pasta bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves, chilli flakes, freshly grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. 

 

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