a big head of broccoli, just cut off the top florets (the stems make a great soup the next day)
4-6 large cloves of garlic, minced
½- 1 t red pepper flakes*
a few tablespoons of olive oil
3 T sesame oil
optional chili oil*
Instructions
Bring a pot of very salty water to a boil. While it is heating up, chop your broccoli into small florets and mince your garlic. Once your water is boiling, add broccoli to the water and cook for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 3-4 T of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes.* Transfer broccoli from the water to the saute pan. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Turn off the heat in this pan. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
Before draining pasta, reserve a cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and add it to the broccoli. Stir to combine well. Drizzle a few tablespoons of sesame oil over the pasta. If you need to loosen it, add a bit of the pasta water. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper. You can heat the pan again if you need to, but usually it is still steamy hot. Spice lovers can add a few drops of chili oil to their bowls. Enjoy!
Notes
If your kids don't like spicy food, you can use either a little bit or no red pepper flakes in the recipe. Adults can add chili oil at the end to get that kick. I think it's a good idea to use a little spice to acclimate children's pallets, but not overwhelm them. You know your family best.
Recipe by Mamaguru at http://mamaguru.com/garlic-sesame-noodles-with-broccoli/