broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano (à la Angelo Pellegrini)

a simple, flavorful side dish (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The current selection of our Cook the Books Club is The Unprejudiced Palate: Classic Thoughts on Food and the Good Life by Angelo Pellegrini¹ (1948). At the beginning, the author declares what his book is about:

I concluded that what America needs is not another cookbook, but a book on bread and wine in relation to life.

As Greg Atkinson states in his West Coast Soup:

[Pellegrini's] book did not provide any recipes per se. Instead, it provided an alternate perspective on cooking.

Such perspective is profoundly influenced by his Italian heritage and his upbringing as the son of recent immigrants to the US (he went on to become a professor of English at the University of Washington).

I thoroughly enjoyed the book: the language, the tone, the stories. Pellegrini's measured attitude makes the reading always interesting—even when I may not agree with him. I know that in part that was due to my comparing my experience with his: I am also Italian and an immigrant—though I moved to the US for different reasons and as an adult.

I love broccoli

Though it contains no detailed recipes, Pellegrini's book describes a lot of dishes. One that caught my attention is a simple side dish (contorno) of broccoli boiled, then sautéed in olive oil (ripassati in padella) and finally gratinéed with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Besides broccoli, the dish requires ingredients always available in a typical Italian kitchen: olive oil, garlic, lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

There are a few things about which I am opinionated: Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of them. I buy a chunk and grate it as needed, right before it is needed. I am happy to report that Angelo Pellegrini and I are in perfect agreement on this topic:

Exactly!

a snowfall of Parmigiano-Reggiano (the dish before baking)

The recipe below is based on Pellegrini's description, with steaming taking the place of boiling and with the actual quantities suggested by my personal taste and some testing and tasting I did.

Feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking, keeping in mind that you want to taste the various ingredients.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 2 ounces / 510 g broccoli, preferably organic
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon / 20 ml Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 ounce / 21 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Wash and cut broccoli heads into florets, halving large florets lengthwise. Peel the tough outer layer of the stalk(s), quarter if very thick, and cut crosswise into coins. Steam until half-way cooked, then transfer to a bowl. (The cooking time depends on the freshness of the broccoli and on your personal preference in terms of softness.)

Heat the oven to 400 F / 205 C.

Cut broccoli into smaller pieces (i.e., cut florets in half lengthwise, cut long stems in half crosswise).

Warm up the olive oil in a skillet. Peel and quarter the large garlic clove (halve the small cloves). Remove the green sprout inside, if present. Add the garlic to the oil and toss. Lightly fry the garlic in the oil for one minute, then add the broccoli to the skillet. Stir well and cook until the broccoli is done to your liking, stirring often.

Remove the skillet for the heat. Remove the garlic and discard. Season the broccoli with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir well. (I am not sure whether Pellegrini stirred the broccoli after adding the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano: I decided to distribute it on the surface.)

Transfer the broccoli to a 9 1/2-inch / 24 cm glass or ceramic deep dish pie plate (1 3/4 inch / 4.5 cm deep) and arrange it to form an even layer.

Distribute grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the broccoli. Place the plate in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and serve.

Serves 4.

Besides hot out of the oven, I like this broccoli dish also at room temperature.

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¹ A nice article on Angelo Pellegrini

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This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

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This is also my second contribution to the 26th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

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FTC disclosure: I have received the placemat free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano

or launch the broccoli al Parmigiano-Reggiano audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

side dish, broccoli, parmigiano-reggiano, garlic, lemon, Italian cuisine

 

Comments

[Claudia]

What a simple, yet delicious broccoli preparation, and I would agree with both you and Pellegrini on the subject of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The book did have its highs and lows, but was inspiring to garden more and cook thoughtfully.

[Simona Carini]

Glad you like my broccoli, Claudia. He was opinionated and inspiring: a good combination, I think.

[Amy CookingAdventures]

Yum! I love broccoli & the fresh grated Parmesan sounds amazing!

[Simona Carini]

If you live broccoli, you'll love this dish, Amy. Simple and simply good :)

[Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm]

Thanks again for hosting Simona. Your broccoli is absolutely going on my to make list.

[Deb in Hawaii]

It ended up being a great choice both from thoughts and discussions to inspiring such wonderful food. Although I didn't always like how Pellegrini expressed himself, he had some interesting and amazing things to share.

Your broccoli looks amazing--I am with you on the Parmigiano-Reggiano. ;-) I only wish broccoli liked my stomach better so I could make and enjoy this.

[Simona Carini]

You are welcome, Wendy. I hope you'll like it.

[Simona Carini]

Thank you, Deb. The book certainly stimulated discussion and that's a good thing :) I suspect Pellegrini will remain unforgettable.

[Debra]

Really lovely dish. I enjoyed the book. Thanks.

[Simona Carini]

You are welcome, Debra :)

[Delaware Girl Eats]

Congrats on a courageous choice for Cook the Books Simona. His advise on kitchen garden produce and local ingredients seems just as valid 60 years later and ahead of the times.

[Simona Carini]

Thank you, Cathy. Indeed, and a good number of other things he wrote feel still valid. He was certainly an interesting person.

[Anastasia]

Broccoli is one of my most favourite vegetables ever, I'm happy I cam across this recipe just before the season begins!

[Simona Carini]

Thank you so much for stopping by and for your comment, Anastasia. Broccoli is also one of my favorite vegetables and this recipe showcases it well. Happy broccoli season :)