Name: Pasta con i broccoli arriminati
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian, Palermo / Sicily
Ingredients: 400 g bucatini or maccheroni; 1 medium cauliflower, about 700 g trimmed florets; 12 g fine salt, for cooking water; 1 large onion, finely sliced; 4 salted sardine or anchovy fillets, rinsed; 50 g raisins, soaked and drained; 50 g pine nuts; 0.25 g saffron; 50 ml extra virgin olive oil; 2 g black pepper; 100 g fine breadcrumbs; 15 ml extra virgin olive oil

Pasta con i broccoli arriminati: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep25 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total1 h

Yield4 servings

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Pasta con i broccoli arriminati

Visit Sicily explicitly notes that the Palermo “broccolo” in this dish is what most of Italy calls cauliflower.

Arriminato refers to mixing the condiment thoroughly with the pasta.

Raisins and pine nuts balance the salty sardines while saffron perfumes and colours the sauce.

Toasted breadcrumbs, muddica atturrata, provide the defining dry finish.

Technique

Three things that matter

Save the cauliflower water. It seasons the pasta and helps bind the condiment.
Dissolve the salted fish into the onion. The sardines should season the sauce rather than remain as large chunks.
Toast breadcrumbs separately. They must stay dry and crisp until serving.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Pasta and cauliflower

400 gbucatini or maccheroni
1 mediumcauliflowerabout 700 g trimmed florets
12 gfine saltfor cooking water

Condiment

1large onionfinely sliced
4salted sardine or anchovy filletsrinsed
50 graisinssoaked and drained
50 gpine nuts
0.25 gsaffron
50 mlextra virgin olive oil
2 gblack pepper

Muddica atturrata

100 gfine breadcrumbs
15 mlextra virgin olive oil

Step by step

Method

Prepare the cauliflower

Boil the cauliflower. Cook florets in generously salted water until tender, 8–10 minutes.
A fork should enter easily without the florets dissolving.
Reserve the cooking water. Lift cauliflower out with a slotted spoon and keep the water hot.
At least 2 litres should remain for the pasta.
Break into coarse pieces. Chop or crush the cauliflower lightly.
It should become irregular pieces, not a smooth purée.

Build the condiment

Soften the onion. Cook onion gently in olive oil for 8–10 minutes.
It should be sweet and translucent.
Dissolve the salted fish. Add sardine or anchovy fillets and stir until they melt into the oil.
No large fish pieces should remain.
Add raisins, pine nuts, saffron and cauliflower. Stir everything together with a splash of cauliflower water.
The mixture should look moist and golden without becoming soupy.

Finish the pasta

Toast the breadcrumbs. Brown breadcrumbs with olive oil in a separate pan.
They should be dry, fragrant and evenly golden.
Cook and arriminare. Boil pasta in the cauliflower water until al dente, transfer to the condiment and toss vigorously with a little cooking water.
The sauce should cling to every strand.
Serve with muddica. Plate immediately and shower with toasted breadcrumbs.
Breadcrumbs should remain crisp on the surface.

Practical guidance

Serving

Serve immediately; this dish loses contrast if it sits after the breadcrumbs are added.

Cauliflower

Use cauliflower rather than green broccoli for the Palermo profile documented by Visit Sicily.

Salt

Taste before adding extra salt because the salted fish and cooking water already season the dish.

Troubleshooting

Sauce is watery. Too much cooking water was added; toss over medium heat to reduce.
Breadcrumbs are soft. They were mixed in too early; add only at the table.
Cauliflower remains chunky and separate. Toss longer so some of it breaks down and coats the pasta.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 pasta course
Calories: approximately 690 kcal
Carbohydrates: 104 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 23 g
Fibre: 9 g
Sodium: 780 mg

Approximate; salted fish affects sodium.

Allergens and food safety

Rinse salted fish and keep refrigerated before use.

Cook cauliflower until fully tender.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

FAQ

Does “broccoli” mean green broccoli here?

In this Palermo dish, Visit Sicily clarifies that the local term refers to cauliflower.

What does arriminati mean?

It refers to thoroughly stirring or mixing the condiment with the pasta.

Are toasted breadcrumbs essential?

They are a defining traditional finish known as muddica atturrata.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Al dente pasta coated in saffron-gold cauliflower, sweet onion, salty fish, raisins and pine nuts, topped with crisp toasted crumbs.
Key: Use the cauliflower cooking water as the bridge between vegetable and pasta, then keep the breadcrumbs dry until serving.