Jamie Oliver brings a sunny, family-friendly approach to cooking, easy recipes with this bright and rustic corteccia pasta tossed in a hot smashed broccoli and tinned tuna sauce. It’s the sort of meal that makes use of pantry tins and slightly frumpy veg, turns the kids into helpers, and delivers big flavour with minimal fuss.
Why this recipe works
This dish is flexible, economical and utterly delicious. Using tinned fish such as tuna (190 g was used here), broccoli stalks, and a handful of staples—garlic, leeks, dried chilli, parmesan and a squeeze of lemon—results in a sauce that clings to fresh pasta and sings with contrast. The technique is simple: soften aromatics, add tinned fish and chopped broccoli, simmer and smash into a rustic sauce. As Jamie says, “the flavour is going to be like a slap round the face.”
Ingredients (serves about 7)
- Olive oil – for frying
- 5 garlic cloves (approx)
- 1 pinch dried chillies
- 1–2 leeks (or spring onions/shallots), roughly sliced
- 1 x 190 g tin tuna (or anchovies/mackerel if preferred)
- 1–2 heads broccoli, stalks included, chopped
- Parmesan – a big handful, grated
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt and pepper
- Flour for pasta – about 100 g per person (3 cups used here)
- Hot water – about 1 cup (recently boiled, cooled slightly)
How to make the sauce
- Heat olive oil in a high-sided pan or casserole. Gently soften garlic and leeks with a pinch of salt—don’t let them colour.
- Add a pinch of dried chilli and the whole tin of drained tuna. Break it up and mix through.
- Slice the broccoli, including the stalks, and add to the pan. Pour in a little of the tin’s water (or additional water) and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30–40 minutes until tender.
- Finish with a generous handful of parmesan and a squeeze of lemon, then smash with a potato masher to a rustic texture that will cling to pasta.
Fresh pasta: simple and fun
Jamie uses roughly 100 g flour per person. For the batch shown, three cups of strong white flour plus one cup of hot (not boiling) water were combined. Hot water slightly cooks the flour proteins, creating a more pliable dough—perfect for family sessions.
- Mix hot water into the flour with a fork, gradually bringing it together until it becomes dough-like.
- Work with hands until elastic and smooth. Divide into balls, rest under a damp cloth for about 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Roll into sausages, break off marble-sized pieces and shape cavatelli by pressing your finger in and dragging to create small cups that trap sauce.
- Cook fresh pasta for 4–5 minutes or until they float; drain and toss with the hot smashed broccoli sauce.
Tips & tricks for success
- Use the whole broccoli: stalks are flavourful and shouldn’t be wasted.
- Swap the tin: anchovies or tinned mackerel work brilliantly if tuna isn’t on hand.
- Hot water for pliability: adding hot water to flour gives softer, more elastic dough—great for little hands helping out.
- Dry and store: let fresh pasta dry completely and jar it with a few rice grains to absorb moisture; it will keep for months.
- Family-friendly: shaping cavatelli is an excellent activity for kids—messy, hands-on and rewarding.
“The flavour is going to be like a slap round the face.”
Storage, make-ahead and serving suggestions
Leftover sauce will keep a few days in the fridge. For make-ahead pasta, dry the shapes completely and store in airtight jars with rice at the bottom to prevent any moisture. Serve with extra parmesan and a bright squeeze of lemon to lift the dish.
Final thoughts
This is one of those joyous, practical entries in the “cooking, easy recipes” chapter: inexpensive, adaptable and full of character. It celebrates simple pantry ingredients and fresh pasta made with love—ideal for families and weeknight dinners alike. Give it a try and let the kids get involved; they’ll love the shaping, and everyone will love the result.
This article was created from the video How To Make Corteccia Pasta with Hot Smashed Broccoli By Jamie Oliver with the help of AI.
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