The fresh rich flavor of the cooked down tomatoes is a nice counterpoint to the smokey, earthy flavor of the broccoli, and the sweetness of the tomato plays well with the sweetness the broccoli develops in the oven. This makes a nice side dish, but also can be used as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, or mixed with grains.
INGREDIENTS:
1½ pound broccoli, florets cut to 2 inches, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2 inch chunks 1 yellow or white onion, cut into fine dice 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium to large tomatoes, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice, juices saved for dish 2 tablespoons white wine or white balsamic vinegar 1-2 teaspoons sugar 5 basil leaves, or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or what ever herbs you wish Olive oil as needed Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Heat oven to 425°F.
Toss broccoli in a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat evenly, and season with salt and pepper.
While the oven heats up, heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, liberally coat the pan bottom with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and toss to coat with the oil. Cook so the onions cook without coloring, getting soft. When the onions are tender all the way through and have sweetened a bit, add the garlic and season the ingredients with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the garlic with the oil, and cook until the garlic is very soft.
Add the vinegar to the pan and cook scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen anything there. Cook down by half. Add the tomatoes and toss to mix the contents of the pan. Sprinkle with the sugar and the herbs, Season with salt and pepper, tossing again to mix.
Once the tomatoes are in the pan, lay the broccoli out on a sheet pan without crowding. You want the broccoli to roast, not steam, which is what will happen if it is too close together rendering the broccoli mushy. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the center of the oven 15 minutes. Check the broccoli- it should be getting tender and browning here and there. Turn the broccoli and return to the oven to finish. Cook for 10 minutes more. Check the broccoli. It should be cooked all the way through with crispy bits of florets and some of the stems should have a pleasingly chewy, almost leathery quality.
While the broccoli roasts, cook the tomatoes over medium or medium-low heat. Toss and stir frequently to break down the tomatoes to a sauce-like consistency. The tomatoes will give off liquid. Cook them so the liquid cooks down and forms a glaze. If the tomatoes are cooking too quickly, turn down the heat so they do not scorch. If they seem to be taking forever, turn up the heat a little and monitor to avoid burning the sauce.
Once the broccoli is done, remove from the oven and keep warm.
Finish the sauce (or if it finished first, keep it warm), taste for seasoning, and if needed, hit with a little salt and pepper or possibly a touch of vinegar. The sauce should be fairly viscous, but still a bit chunky.
Once done, toss the broccoli in the sauce, and mix well. Serve hot.
Chef’s Notes:
For a pasta sauce, cook penne as described on the package, then drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan along with a spoonful of oil and the cooking water. Boil the water until it reduces, stirring to prevent the pasta burning. When the water is reduced by 80%, add the broccoli and tomato and toss to heat through and combine with the pasta. Serve with cheese and chili flakes. As a pizza topping, simply spread the broccoli over a pizza shell and add some fresh mozzarella, then cook. However, this should only be done if you have high a temp oven as the sauce/broccoli might burn if subjected to a long cooking. To change up the sauce, add chili flakes or mushrooms to it.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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