Broccoli Cacio e Pepe

A riff on a simple Italian dish, except made with broccoli instead of pasta.

Step: 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step: 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quarter broccoli heads lengthwise and add to the boiling water; simmer for 3 minutes. Drain.

Step: 3

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt.

Step: 4

Transfer drained broccoli to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour sauce on top.

Step: 5

Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Broil until top starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Per Serving: 208 calories; protein 12.3g; carbohydrates 14.8g; fat 12g; cholesterol 33.8mg; sodium 449.3mg.

The most clear way to pick a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and choose more different. If you’re cooking pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Making steak? Go for more light. If you’re making stir-fry with rice, it must not a good idea to also make a rice salad.

This also can apply to cooking method . You don’t want to overcommit your oven by scheduling three dishes at once in there, or be rounding four pans on the cooking items . But sometimes you can made a dish do double-duty .