Graduation Szn Is Here

A major bash calls for some Jersey-style eats.

We are gearing up for a big party this weekend to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from college: the deposit is down on the keg, the playlist has been curated, the spritz bar is coming together, and the platter of rainbow cookies in her school colors has been ordered. As we’re expecting a large crowd and people will be moving between our house and the backyard, we decided to go the finger food route as far as the main eats are concerned; there’s a great regional grocery store chain in my area called Uncle Giuseppe’s that makes fantastic catered foods, and we are procuring yards of party hoagies and some pasta salads for the occasion. Normally, I would have attempted to cook for everyone, but who am I to think I could improve upon the perfection that is the Aunt Mary? As a proud Jersey girl, however, I feel as though I am cheating on the homeland by not making a dish of my own, specifically an enormous tray of pasta.

In the small pocket of Garden State where I grew up—which also happens to be the setting for the seminal HBO series The Sopranos, to provide some relevant context—pretty much every type of family celebration I attended featured chafing dishes of the following: Baked Ziti; Penne a la Vodka; Sausage and Peppers; and Cavatelli and Broccoli. To me, this spread is the party ideal: a variety of choices with a nice balance of flavors and textures; dishes that are good for carnivores and vegetarians; a self-serve format; and food that makes for good leftovers for the host and a few lucky parting guests.

When I want to make a taste of Jersey at home, cavatelli is something I reach for instinctively; fresh or frozen cavatelli is a level up from ordinary dried pasta, as the dough contains ricotta cheese, which makes it rich and chewy but soft enough to absorb the flavors of whatever sauce it’s in. And in the case of the below recipe, flavorful olive oil, nutty toasted garlic, crisp broccoli, and a kick of red pepper lend themselves fabulously. This makes for a great main course as well as a nice side dish, but you could also prepare it ahead and serve cold—it’s perfect to have in the fridge during a heatwave, like the one we’re supposed to get on Monday, so maybe take advantage of this weekend’s cooler (“cooler”) temps to whip up a batch for the week?

Cavatelli and Broccoli

Serves 4-6 (can easily be doubled, or tripled, or quadrupled.) (Don’t ask me what the word is for “make enough for a big bunch of people” because I don’t know.)

• 12 garlic cloves, peeled

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)

• 4 cups broccoli florets (from about 1½ pounds of broccoli crowns)

• One 13-ounce bag of frozen cavatelli

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper

While you can use dried cavatelli here, I encourage you to get frozen, or even fresh if you can find it. I’m partial to the Celentano brand of frozen, but there are others that are equally good.

Aleppo pepper is a variety of dried red pepper flakes that has a tangy, slightly spicy, yet mellow flavor; I prefer it to regular red pepper flakes. Aleppo pepper is easily available online at shops such as Kalustyan or Penzeys.

It might be worth buying pre-peeled garlic cloves from the grocery store as a time-saver.

Toast the garlic: Slice each clove vertically, to yield about 4-5 slices per clove. Heat olive oil in a large skillet (~12” across) at medium-high heat for approximately 30 seconds; add the garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Lower heat to medium-low and let the garlic cook slowly until it starts to lightly brown, maybe 2 minutes or so. Add the pepper flakes and and stir; try to turn the garlic pieces over so the opposite sides begin to brown. When the cloves are golden brown on both sides, remove skillet from heat, and using a slotted spoon, transfer the cloves to a small dish, leaving the oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; add about a tablespoon of kosher salt to the water. Add the frozen cavatelli and stir occasionally until the water returns to a boil. Cook at a boil for 3-4 minutes until cavatelli begins floating to the top. Taste cavatelli for doneness; I like pasta al dente and cavatelli is no exception, in fact, imo the chewier the better! When done, turn off heat and leave the pasta in the water.

Return the skillet to the burner and turn heat to medium-high. Add broccoli and a healthy pinch of kosher salt and sauté for about 1-2 minutes until the florets turn bright green, then turn off heat to the skillet. The pasta water is key to pulling all the flavors in this dish together, so don’t drain the cavatelli; instead, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, and using a pasta fork or slotted spoon, add cavatelli to the skillet and toss together with a few splashes of the reserved pasta water. Add the garlic cloves and give it all a good mixing until everything is combined. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper, adding more salt to taste, and let everything sit for 3-4 minutes until things turn slightly saucy. You can serve with grated pecorino or parmesan, but it’s also great-tasting without. Mangia!