In terms of timing: you'll want to start melting your butter over low heat about 15 minutes before you the pasta is finished cooking. If your butter browns faster, pour it out of the pan and into a small ramekin to stop the cooking. Then, when the pasta is ready, you can put it back into the frying pan.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
4 cups broccoli florets (from one medium head), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for cutting the pasta
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs, from about half a roll or a couple small slices of baguette
3 tablespoons butter
½ pound thin spaghetti or other long thin pasta
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Toss the broccoli florets with the olive oil and salt and spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the broccoli for 25 minutes, until brown around the edges.
While the broccoli is cooking, toss the breadcrumbs with a drizzle of olive oil, spread on a small baking sheet, and bake for about 6 minutes.
Set the breadcrumbs and broccoli aside.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it well, I'm talking at least 3 tablespoons.
Add butter to a heavy frying pan large enough to (eventually) fit the pasta, and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter separates into liquids (clear) and solids (white), and the solids start to toast. You'll see the white turning brown. Turn the heat all the way down and cook until the butter smells nutty and fragrant. Watch it carefully so as not to burn.
Add ¼ cup pasta cooking water to the butter. It will sizzle! Then add the broccoli and stir well. Scoop the pasta straight into the pan with the butter and broccoli from the pot. Stir to integrate, adding more water by the tablespoon to make sure the pasta is coated. Since the breadcrumbs will absorb some moisture, be generous with the water. Taste for salt, then scoop into two bowls. Top each with half the breadcrumbs.
Recipe by Big Girls Small Kitchen at http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2012/12/brown-butter-broccoli-spaghetti.html