Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic and Almonds (for Caroline)

From Cooks Illustrated. The recipe says it works best with short molded pasta, such as fusilli, campanelle, or orecchiette. I have used fusilli, orecchiette, bowtie, spirals, and penne.  I liked penne the least.

Also, I have roasted garlic cloves that were already peeled and cut in half, and that was way easier than trying to squeeze hot roasted garlic out of the skins after the fact.

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic and Almonds
Serves 4

2 heads garlic, papery skins removed, top quarter of heads cut off and discarded
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds broccoli
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 pound pasta
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 ounces Manchego cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut one 12-inch sheet of foil and spread flat on counter. Place garlic heads, cut-side up, in center of foil. Drizzle ½ teaspoon oil over each head and seal packet. Place packet on oven rack and roast until garlic is very tender, about 40 minutes. Open packet and set aside to cool.

While garlic is roasting, prepare broccoli. Cut broccoli at juncture of crowns and stems; remove outer peel from stems. Cut stems into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into ½-inch-thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3 to 4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and sugar.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing cut sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until broccoli is well browned and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While broccoli roasts, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into small bowl. Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste, then stir in red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup oil.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and return pasta to pot. Add chopped broccoli to pasta; stir in garlic sauce, ¼ cup cooking water, basil, and ½ cup cheese. Adjust consistency with additional cooking water and season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkling with remaining ½ cup cheese and toasted almonds.

Brent's Pasta Sauce

1 large onion, dice and sauté in 6 qt pot until onion is translucent

add:
5 quarts of crushed tomatoes
3-5 big cloves or garlic, minced or crushed
Several good glugs of olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup?)
Dried basil to taste (I do a couple of tablespoons)
Few glugs of balsamic vinegar (couple of tablespoons?)
A drizzle or two of hot sauce. The more you add the more "arrabiata" the sauce becomes.

Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat. Let simmer for about 3 hours, or until about a quart of the liquid has boiled off, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Test along the way and adjust above ingredients as necessary to taste.

Options: 
Brent likes to let the sauce rest a few minutes after it's done simmering, and then stir in 2-3 tablespoons of pesto for an extra basil kick.

You can add grape juice or red wine as it simmers for more of an "old world" flavor.

You can add a can of tomato paste, as it helps thicken the sauce a bit.

As the sauce thickens and reduces as it simmers, you will end up with about 3.5-4 quarts. We just store it in quart jars and put the lids on while the sauce is hot. It reseals the lid and will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

We make it with Sherol's home bottled tomatoes, which have a teaspoon of sugar per quart. When we used commercially canned tomatoes, we felt like the flavor was off and adding sugar helped with that. Also, if you use commercially canned tomatoes,  you may have to simmer it for several more hours to break down the acidity of the tomatoes. You also may need to stick in an immersion blender to break up the tomatoes more to your desired consistency.

When stored in the fridge, the tomatoes let out more water and the sauce becomes runny. When ready to use it, add the desired amount of sauce in a skillet and simmer to evaporate that excess water and let the sauce thicken again. You could throw in some chopped pepperoni or salami. Or brown some italian sausage first and then add the sauce. Cook pasta separately. Then toss together.

You can also use the sauce as a pizza sauce. Just stir in some oregano first for more of a pizza flavor.