Creamy Broccoli Pasta

Jjampong, attempt three. I got it. Yesterday. After two bad tries in December and one week's hiatus over the holidays, I made a pot on Saturday that was exactly what I remembered from a restaurant in the ID in 2019. The broth was a deep red from the gochugaru-infused chili oil; the seafood was tender and briny; the cabbage and onion and zucchini had sweetened into the broth without losing their texture. I sent a photo to Eunji. She wrote back: "YES! That is jjampong. You can come to Busan now. Unnie, you are cooking well." She called me unnie. That is the Korean word a younger sister uses for an older sister. The first time she has called me that. I saved the text. I am saving all the texts.

Dr. Yoon is back. First session Monday. We talked for an hour about everything: Karen's fall, Kevin's courthouse wedding (now scheduled for January 22), the May trip to Busan, the Alexa Q1 launch, the business idea, and finally, at the end, my writing on the blog. She asked if I thought I was using the blog correctly. I said I did not know what correctly would mean. She said, "Is it serving you, or is it another place you perform?" I sat with that for a minute. I said, "I think it's serving me, most weeks. I think once a month or so I catch myself performing. I am trying to notice when I am doing that." She said, "Good." She said, "The people who read you, Stephanie, do they know you performed a little?" I said, "I think so. I think they forgive it because I am, in general, being honest." She said, "Is that the line?" I said, "I think so. Honesty with a little performance is a kind of intimacy. Performance without honesty is something else." She said, "Yes."

I wrote Jisoo about the courthouse wedding. She said she was glad for Kevin. She said she would light a candle. She has been lighting a lot of candles for us this year. I did not grow up with candles. I like the candles.

Work: the first full week of Q1 is brutal. I am deep in planning meetings and architecture reviews and calibrations. I found myself on Wednesday, between meetings, writing down the ingredient list for a Korean meal kit service in a notebook. Gochujang. Kimchi (shelf-stable? fermented at customer home? that is a whole product question). Bulgogi marinade kits. Bibimbap kits. Doenjang jjigae kits. I have a notebook now. It is a real notebook, not a daydream. It is still early. But the notebook exists. The notebook is a fact in the world.

James saw the notebook Thursday night. He flipped through it without asking, which he is allowed to do after four years. He read a few pages. He said, "This is detailed." I said, "It's a sketch." He said, "This is more than a sketch." He closed the notebook. He said, "When are we going to talk about this for real?" I said, "After the wedding, probably." He said, "Okay. But don't put it down. Keep writing." I will keep writing.

The recipe this week is jjampong. Spicy, deep, seafood-rich. I will share the recipe now. Start with a chili oil infusion — oil, gochugaru, garlic, ginger, scallion whites, heated slowly until the oil is red and the aromatics are sizzling. Add chicken or anchovy stock. Add cabbage, onion, zucchini, mushroom, fish cake. Simmer ten minutes. Add shrimp, squid, mussels. Simmer five more. Serve over thick wheat noodles with scallion greens on top. Eat with a big spoon and no napkin shame.

The jjampong took weeks of tries and a full Saturday afternoon, and I would do it all again — but most weeknights look nothing like that. Most weeknights I am coming out of my fourth straight planning meeting with thirty minutes before James gets home, and what I need is something that asks almost nothing of me while still feeling like I made it with my hands. This creamy broccoli pasta is that recipe. It is on the table before I have fully exhaled. It is the noodle I reach for when I am still a student of the kitchen but I do not have time to study.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets directly to the pot. Before draining, scoop out 1/3 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain and set aside.
Build the sauce base. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter together until the butter is melted and foamy. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, for about 90 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Add the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3—4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream has reduced slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Melt in the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add the Parmesan in two additions, stirring between each, until fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine and loosen. Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Toss to coat everything in the sauce. Splash in the reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing, until the sauce clings loosely and silkily to every piece of pasta. The broccoli will break down slightly as you toss — that is a good thing.
Serve immediately. Divide into bowls and top with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Eat while it’s hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Broccoli Pasta — The Weeknight Noodle That Keeps Me Grounded