Broccoli-Pasta Side Dish -- The Mac and Cheese That Fed Four Generations

First week of summer and the immediate priority is grandchildren. I drove to White Plains on Tuesday and spent the day with all four — Ethan finishing first grade with the triumphant energy of a seven-year-old who has survived a pandemic school year, Sophie finishing pre-K, Noah at two and a half ruling the household with the benevolent autocracy of a toddler who has discovered the word "mine," and Hannah at four months, sitting up with support and making the specific sounds of a baby who is about to have opinions.

I cooked in Jennifer's kitchen — a liberating experience, like playing an away game in someone else's stadium. Jennifer's kitchen is modern and well-equipped and has a dishwasher that actually works (mine makes a grinding noise that I have been ignoring for three years because acknowledging the grinding noise means calling a repairman, and calling a repairman means admitting vulnerability, and Ruth Feldman does not admit vulnerability to appliances). I made lunch for the children: macaroni and cheese from scratch, carrot sticks, apple slices, and the rugelach I brought from Oceanside. Ethan ate everything. Sophie negotiated. Noah threw carrot sticks on the floor with an expression of aristocratic disdain. Hannah ate breast milk and was smug about it.

Marvin stayed home with Gloria. I checked in by phone twice — once at noon, once at three. Gloria reported that Marvin ate lunch, watched television, napped, and asked twice where Ruth was. "Where is Ruth?" He asks for me. He does not always know who I am when I am standing in front of him, but when I am not there, he asks for me. The asking is the love. The asking is the evidence. He may not know my face every day. He knows my absence. That is a different kind of knowing, and it is enough.

The macaroni and cheese I made that Tuesday in Jennifer’s kitchen was the easy kind — the kind where you know without measuring how much butter goes in, the kind that smells like every childhood lunch you ever ate. This broccoli-pasta side dish is its closest cousin: simple, forgiving, and exactly the sort of thing that gets Ethan eating everything on his plate while Noah flings the carrots. It’s the recipe I reach for when I want the kitchen to feel like home, even when the kitchen isn’t mine.

Broccoli-Pasta Side Dish

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz medium pasta shells or elbow macaroni
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut small
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets directly to the pot. Drain together and set aside.
2. Build the sauce. In the same pot over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.
3. Add the broth. Pour in the broth and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
4. Combine. Return the drained pasta and broccoli to the pot. Toss well to coat everything in the sauce. Remove from heat.
5. Finish with cheese. Sprinkle in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss again until the cheese is melted and the pasta is evenly coated. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 240 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 290mg