Thoroughly clean and wash the broccoli. Remove any debris or blemishes from the broccoli heads and stems. Once cleaned, carefully cut the broccoli into small, uniform pieces of similar size for even cooking.

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, and season the boiling water with salt. Once the water is rapidly boiling, gently add the cut broccoli pieces. Cook the broccoli until just tender when pierced with a fork, yet still retaining a slight crispness, around 5 minutes.

Once the broccoli has finished cooking, using a slotted spoon, drain the broccoli and set aside in a bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Add the orecchiette pasta to the same pot and cook according to package instructions, draining it 1 minute before the al dente cooking time indicated on the package. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

While pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 50 g anchovy fillets and chili pepper flakes to taste, and cook until the anchovies dissolve.

Add the broccoli florets and sauté for 4–5 minutes until bright green and slightly tender, maintaining a pleasant crunch.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the broccoli mixture. Toss gently, adding reserved pasta water as needed, to create a light sauce. Cook for an additional 1–2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

Remove from heat and serve with extra virgin olive oil and chili flakes to taste. Add the anchovies that you kept aside for decoration.

Now you can enjoy your delicious Orecchiette with Broccoli and Anchovies.