Pasta with broccoli and garlic

Today I stopped by the Foggy Bottom farmers market and was ecstatic when the first table I came to was selling fresh pasta. I was so in the mood for noodles, and Cavanna Pasta delivered. I bought a pound of whole-wheat fettuccine (and some anise biscotti as a birthday present for my former boss).

I also picked up about a pound of broccoli and, most exciting, some red and pink currants (there were also white currants, but the deal was two for $7). I asked the nice woman taking my money if there was a difference in the taste. "Yes," she said, then turned to help someone else. Hmmm.

So I brought the currants home and gave them a try. Based on a very small sampling, I think I like the pink ones better. They have a more subtle, fresh fruity taste. The red currants taste more tart, which normally I love, but the taste verged on bitterness. I'll have to give both another try in my yogurt tomorrow morning.

For dinner tonight, I decided to be a bit lazy. I chopped the broccoli into florets, threw it into boiling salted water, then added a half-pound of the pasta. Two minutes later (after I fished an errant piece of broccoli out from under the burner), I drained everything and started sauteing the garlic and some red pepper flakes in olive oil, then added the pasta and a bit of butter. (I would have used Blue Ridge Dairy butter, but apparently that has started getting moldy...) Finally, I added some salt and pepper and crumbled Cherry Glen goat cheese—which had also begun to get moldy, but I just cut that off.

I was a little nervous the broccoli was going to overcook since normally I dump it in an ice bath after blanching it, but it turned out perfectly (which means my leftovers will probably be mushy). All in all, it was a delicious and fast local meal.