Wholemeal Penne with Fiolaro di Creazzo Broccoli

Fiolaro broccoli from Creazzo is grown near Vicenza. Its name comes from "fioi", the Venetian dialect word for children: the children are the many side shoots of the plant.

320 g wholemeal penne
1 Fiolaro di Creazzo broccoli
2 shallots
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 glass tomato passata (homemade is best: you can find a recipe here, in Italian)
extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta.

Wash the Fiolaro broccoli and separate the leaves.

When the water boils, add the broccoli leaves and cook them for about 15 minutes.
Slice the shallots thinly and sauté them in a non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of oil for about 5 minutes, then add the passata and cook for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, lift the broccoli leaves out with a sieve, top up the water if needed and bring it back to the boil. Add the penne and cook for the time on the packet.

Slice the cooked leaves thinly (keep a sprig aside for serving), add them to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, until well blended.

Dry-toast the sesame seeds in a small non-stick pan for a few minutes, without oil, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them: as soon as they start to pop, take them off the heat and set them aside.

Drain the pasta, toss it with the sauce and serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

In the photo I garnished the dish with a sprig of broccoli and a few beetroot chips, dried in a dehydrator (8 hours at 40°C).