Improve this pasta sauce

April 11, 2022 11:15 AM

I’ve made a pasta sauce a few times now with broccoli stems, spinach, onions/garlic, and cheese. Help me improve it!

Trying to be better about using up the broccoli stems so I’ve made this sauce a couple times just winging it and I think it could be better.

Usually I start with cutting up the broccoli stems and steaming them until they’re tender. Then I sauté a chopped onion and a bunch of garlic in olive oil. When the onion is soft and starting to brown, I throw in some handfuls of spinach and let it wilt a little. Then the broccoli and spinach/onions all goes in the food processor and is puréed until fairly smooth. While my pot of whole wheat pasta is cooking, the vegetables go back into the sauté pan to heat up. I add some cheese - usually Parmesan and/or feta or goat cheese, depending on what I have on hand - salt, pepper, and some dill, and some starchy pasta water to thin it out. When the pasta is done, I stir some lemon juice in to the vegetables after it’s off the heat.

It’s a perfectly serviceable way to have a vegetable-heavy pasta sauce, but it’s not amazing. How can I amp this up? I don’t do well with spicy foods, would prefer to leave this vegetarian, and don’t want to add a ton of fat as I’m still adjusting my diet after having my gallbladder removed. Thanks!

posted by skycrashesdown to Food & Drink (30 answers total)

Consider roasting the broccoli until tender to intensify the flavour.

Also, if you have Better than Boullion vegetable stock base or something similar, adding that will amp also up the intensity of the flavour.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:18 AM on April 11, 2022 [15 favorites]

Roasted mushrooms for umami, and/or something like Penzey's Mural of Flavor herb and spice blend for an extra punch of citrus and herbs.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 11:30 AM on April 11, 2022 [7 favorites]

Seconding roasting the broccoli instead of steaming. And at that point you might as well roast the onions and garlic along with them.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:37 AM on April 11, 2022 [5 favorites]

Pre-roasted garlic is another option for getting good roasty flavors. Seconding mushrooms, I'd use dried porcini for max flavor and convenience. Maybe a dash of msg if you roll that way, umami will help a lot if you are limiting fat.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:37 AM on April 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

I make a version of this but with a roux (butter, flour, whole milk) + nutmeg. I like a lot of spinach - I find that I need a ton to even get the spinach flavor out of the sauce - maybe try doubling the spinach that goes in?
posted by icy_latte at 11:43 AM on April 11, 2022

add a little sploop of vegemite
posted by phunniemee at 11:48 AM on April 11, 2022 [3 favorites]

I agree with the roasting and add a few more things to the "to try" list:
red wine
EVOO only at the end (a little)
pepper flakes (sparingly since you don't do spicy)
posted by jraz at 11:51 AM on April 11, 2022 [2 favorites]

Add fresh ground pepper, some ground mustard (or just a squirt or two or regular mustard) and a half-teaspoon of worchestshire sauce at the end.

And I'll second roasting everything first.
posted by noloveforned at 12:00 PM on April 11, 2022

I was going to suggest adding a splash or two of white wine to your saute pan.

If you like basil, you can add either dried or fresh to the dish. Dried I would stir into the sauce as it was heating through, fresh I would roughly chop and add to the finished plate.

Red peppercorns have an interesting flavour and could add some interest without too much heat.

You could also shave over some truffle, if you wanted to get really fancy. Or shake over a few drops of truffle oil. You need hardly any to bring the flavour.
posted by doornoise at 12:01 PM on April 11, 2022

Oh!

Forgot to mention... you could also toast some seeds or chopped nuts in a dry pan, with a pinch of salt, then sprinkle them over at the end to add texture and smokiness.

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pine nuts would be good.
posted by doornoise at 12:05 PM on April 11, 2022

A teaspoon of the vegetable Better Than Bouillon (low sodium version, if you prefer) amps up the flavor of any dish! I frequently use it in vegetable-y pasta sauces like this. They also have vegetarian versions of their beef and chicken bases, if you prefer that flavor profile but want to keep it veg.
posted by rachaelfaith at 12:15 PM on April 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

I would add walnuts, pine nuts (if you're a millionaire), or soaked cashews, before you blend it. Not a ton, and for walnuts or pine nuts you might toast them for a second for extra flavor (you can do this in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time). This is what gives pesto a nice umami body. Or, as doornoise just said, you could finish with the nuts for more texture. Roasted sesame seeds would also be nice there.

You could also add nutritional yeast for more cheesy twang.

Probably it needs more salt. I'd use msg myself. If you have access, either Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Costco's Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning have dried citrus and tomato for pop. If you really like vinegar use a drizzle of balsamic, if you like the idea of vinegar but it makes your face itch like it does me, I like rice vinegar or a fruitier vinegar like orange, fig, or champagne.

I feel like if you're being mindful of fat you'll get the best bang for buck by adding a quality flavored fat at the end. So a drizzle of good olive oil, toasted sesame oil, nut oil, or even browned butter would be a great finishing touch.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:34 PM on April 11, 2022 [3 favorites]

You are essentially making a Spinach Pesto. Things you could/should add would be nuts (especially pine nuts), roasted red peppers, and (particularly, imo) basil.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:34 PM on April 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

I would consider not blending it. Or adding one or more of the ingredients after blending the rest. More texture could be more interesting.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:42 PM on April 11, 2022 [3 favorites]

Are you peeling the broccoli stems? The inside is delectable, the tough peel is pretty fibrous, but peeling does mean you're not eating *all* of the broccoli stem.

I also like to chop spinach and add later vs. puree everything. It wilts fast, and the color can be more appealing that way.

+1 toasted walnuts, more spinach, more salt, starting with a roux to get a creamier texture (or soaked cashews if that's your jam).
posted by momus_window at 12:43 PM on April 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

I like this kale pesto (nyt paywall, sorry), which is quite similar.

Secrets are:
- Nice, very flavorful Parmesan cheese if you can afford it
- Blanching the kale in the same water you use to cook the pasta (less work, probably slightly more flavorful and nutritious)
- Kale! Specifically, 1 lb of kale for 1/2 lb of pasta. It should be more intensely flavorful than broccoli stems, which tend to be quite mild.
posted by A Blue Moon at 12:54 PM on April 11, 2022

I was also going to suggest pine nuts.

I make something similar to this but I sautée onion and garlic, and then add chopped broccoli and cauliflower and keep sauteeing until they're nicely caramelized. Adapting with your version, you could add spinach to that and then top with cheese (in my version I use parmesan) and pine nuts or maybe even almonds.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:12 PM on April 11, 2022

Needs acid! I make something very similar with pine nuts or walnuts, fresh basil (at the end) and the juice of half a lemon.
posted by cyndigo at 1:15 PM on April 11, 2022

Yeah, basil is the obvious upgrade over spinach. Personally I prefer spinach pesto because I'm not a huge fan of the intense flavor of basil, but since more intense flavor is what you're going for...
posted by kevinbelt at 1:18 PM on April 11, 2022

I suspect your sauce is too watery. Try cooking some of the water out of the puréed sauce before adding the pasta water. I also recommend red pepper flakes, doubling the amount of cheese, and adding some lemon zest for a little zing without the water.
posted by sparringnarwhal at 1:27 PM on April 11, 2022

I'm on team acid with cyndigo. I'd add even more lemon than just a half, but I like a LOT of lemon. If not lemon, maybe some sherry vinegar.
posted by sarajane at 1:39 PM on April 11, 2022

roasted broccoli is the best broccoli.

As for the additions that amp up umami, you can't go wrong with experimenting with miso.
posted by mmascolino at 2:26 PM on April 11, 2022

I would pulse in a food processor until it's fairly finely chopped rather than pureeing it, and then I'd toss that with the pasta, cheese, some toasted breadcrumbs and maybe some capers. Add some lemon juice a splash of olive oil.
posted by sriracha at 2:50 PM on April 11, 2022

Try making it with rapini (broccoli rabe) instead of regular broccoli.

Or try making it with chopped veg instead of food-processing to a purée. This works better with stubby pasta shapes than standard long spaghetti, but maybe the idea needs a little more texture.

I'm of the opinion that a northern herb like dill doesn't work with pasta. Maybe try oregano or tarragon or, as others have suggested, basil.
posted by zadcat at 2:58 PM on April 11, 2022

Broccoli stems are even better than broccoli florets, so I agree they deserve their own pasta.
This is a different approach, without a blender, I hope you like it:

Peal the stems and cut them into 1/4 inch cubes.
Cut half a red bell pepper into 1/4 inch cubes
Crush one or two cloves of garlic and mince it.
Chop a handful of parsley.
Grate a lot of cheese, parmesan or pecorino
Have a lemon ready for finishing

Now get your pasta water boiling. For this, fresh tagliatelle is actually very delicious, but it goes well with many forms.

In a pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil, and add in the broccoli stems and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and sauté them gently for five-ten minutes depending on how much crunch you like. Stir to prevent them from excess browning. Add in the garlic and stir vigorously. Turn down the heat, you do not want the garlic to brown at all. If you can keep it at a very low simmer, do, but otherwise just shut off the heat while your pasta finishes.
When the pasta is finished, light up under your pan again and add a bit of the pasta water to it. Drain the pasta, and add it to the pan, along with the cheese and parsley and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Stir till the sauce is creamy and delicious. finish with lemon juice, serve with extra cheese.

You can use a large, ripe tomato instead of the bell pepper, and it will be different but also good. You can also use a diced stick of celery or a carrot along with the broccoli stems and bell pepper. But keep it simple. It's important that you cut the vegs into those little cubes.

I had this at a fancy restaurant, and was amazed at how simple it was, because it was very, very good.
posted by mumimor at 3:01 PM on April 11, 2022

Miso paste. Shaved dried mushrooms. Tomato Confit. Worcestershire sauce. Sukiyaki sauce. Roasted garlic. If you can get it, Merkén.
posted by signal at 3:36 PM on April 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

This Pasta e Broccoli recipe is super delicious, and is basically just broccoli, garlic, and parmesan. Maybe try it with stems alone (I suspect it will be very nearly as good as the original) and then see if you still feel a need for the spinach, blending, etc.
posted by gueneverey at 4:17 PM on April 11, 2022 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: There are some great answers here, thanks everyone! I made it last night and roasted the stems and that alone was a huge improvement! I meant to stir in some miso or Better Than Bouillon near the end but forgot, and will try that next.
posted by skycrashesdown at 7:32 AM on April 12, 2022 [2 favorites]

This Pasta e Broccoli recipe is super delicious, and is basically just broccoli, garlic, and parmesan. Maybe try it with stems alone (I suspect it will be very nearly as good as the original) and then see if you still feel a need for the spinach, blending, etc.

Pasta e Broccoli is indeed delicious and one of my major comfort foods, as it was a favorite of my Italian-American grandmother. I don't think it would be quite the same without the florets, since the way they break down and coat the pasta is a major part of its appeal.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:51 AM on April 12, 2022

Two things: first, my standard "add" to almost any pasta sauce recipe is a big splash of wine AFTER sauteing aromatics in fat, but before continuing to build the sauce - it sort of binds and emulsifies in a way that makes the final sauce less watery/more cohesive. It is why my gramigna con salsiccia recipe is way better than anyone else's try it after your onion step - if you don't use wine, you could sub some veggie stock, but wine is better. Second - try a spoon of white miso paste - you'll get some a nice umami punch out of it. I'd do it again after the onion step before adding the spinach.
posted by ersatzkat at 11:56 AM on April 12, 2022