Roasted Broccoli & Fregola Sarda

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Wash and dry the fresh produce.

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.

Halve the heads of broccoli lengthwise (keeping them as intact as possible).

Cut off and discard any fennel stems. Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise; cut out and discard the core, then medium dice.

Peel and mince the garlic.

Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems.

Using the side of your knife, smash the olives; remove and discard the pits, then roughly chop

Using a fork, crumble the cheese.

Halve the peppers lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise.

Roughly chop the pistachios.

Quarter and deseed the lemon.

In a bowl, combine the olives, cheese, peppers, pistachios and the juice of 2 lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the broccoli on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; turn to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single layer, cut sides down. Roast 23 to 25 minutes, turning halfway through, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

While the broccoli roasts, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Stir in the vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the pasta cooks, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the fennel; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

While the pasta continues to cook, in the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cooked spinach to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop.

Add the chopped spinach, cooked fennel and ¾ of the parsley to the pot of cooked pasta. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished pasta and roasted broccoli between 2 dishes. Top with the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. Garnish with the salsa and remaining parsley. Enjoy!