I saw something like this on FoodTV's Barefoot Contessa (Brocolli and Bowties from the "Kids in a Candy Store" episode) and decided to make up a simpler variant and give it a try.

Wow! Uh... WOW. This came out great! It's also incredibly simple and delightfully colorful. Here's my take on the recipe:

Broccoli-Parmesan Pasta

1 cup broccoli florets (1 head)
4 handfuls of dry rotini pasta, the colorful kind if possible
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use the ready-minced-garlic-in-a-jar for this)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Steam the broccoli for 10 minutes - or until just tender (don't overcook). Place in a large bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, in another very large pot, boil a large amount of water, salt well, then add pasta and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). [1] Drain and add to the broccoli in the large bowl.

In a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, letting the butter brown, but not burn. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Pour this over the broccoli and pasta, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add grated parmesan and toss well.

[1] It's very important to use a large amount of water and salt the water WELL (if it tastes like seawater it's great) when you cook pasta. Try it sometime - boil some pasta in just enough plain water to cover it, then cook the same kind of pasta in another pot with triple the amount of water a a few tablespoon of salt. Drain, rinse and taste 'em. Big diff.

Alton Brown, host of the show Good Eats on the Food TV Network, and my favorite TV chef, found himself hospitalized recently. He describes it on his web site. The gist is that stress and fatigue led to a migraine which led to some vomiting which led to dehydration which led to scary arrhythmia. But he's okay now. I hope he gets a chance to ease up and get some rest and relaxation.

Reading about that reminded me just how much water really matters. (Remember to replace those fluids ASAP if you have vomiting or diarrhea!) Dehydration really can do some absolutely wonky things to your body. I remember once when I was feeling *incredibly* ill, woozy and dizzy and unable to focus my eyes, with my heart feeling a bit funny. Turns out I was just dehydrated - once I'd drank quite a bit I almost instantly felt better.

On the days I don't get my eight glasses of water in, I don't feel quite right. The days that I do I feel incredible. There have been recent debates on whether or not Americans drink enough water and just how much water is "enough" water. What does seem to be a consensus is the fact that lack of water can mess with metabolism, body processes, cause fatigue and a shift in the hunger/thirst mechanism, and cause fuzzy short-term memory as well as difficulty in focusing on printed materials. (been there!) Getting enough water can sometimes alleviate back and joint pain (at least in mild sufferers like myself), healthier skin, give an energy boost and just make one feel all around healthier.

I think I'll go grab me a tall glass of water.

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