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There is a new broccoli in town. Well, it's not exactly new.

Romanesco broccoli dates back to 16th century Italy, but Ontario farmers have only recently begun to plant it. I saw it for the first time last year at a roadside stand in Prince Edward County, and now the Italo-centric supermarket Fiesta Farms (200 Christie St., 416-537-1235) has mounds of the stuff at $2.99 a head.

Romanesco broccoli is a freaky vegetable. It resembles a cauliflower, but with tight yellow-green florets that form horn-like spirals. Whenever I look at one, I think, "Triceratops brain."

When shopping for romanesco broccoli, look for firm, blemish-free heads with healthy leaves. When you get it home, remove the leaves, as they will draw moisture from the head. Wrap tightly with cling film, refrigerate and use within three days.

Due to the rarity of this vegetable, there is a dearth of literature on it. From my hundreds of cookbooks, I could only find one recipe, a pasta dish from River Caf�© Green (Ebury Press, 2000) by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.

Tasting like a milder version of cauliflower, romanesco broccoli is similarly attuned to bold flavours such as garlic, anchovy and salty Pecorino Romano cheese, all of which can be found in this delicious fall soup.

 

Romanesco broccoli and pasta soup

Yield: 4 main course servings

 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 anchovy filets, finely chopped

large pinch dried chili flakes

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, thoroughly drained and chopped

1 head romanesco broccoli, cored and chopped

5 cups vegetable stock

1 cup small dried pasta shells

extra-virgin olive oil for serving

freshly grated Pecorino Romano for serving

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high. Add the onion and carrot, and cook, stirring often, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add the anchovy and chili flakes and cook, stirring, until the anchovy melts into the onion mixture. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the romanesco broccoli and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes. While the soup is cooking, boil the pasta in generously salted water until very al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Set aside.

When the soup is done, season with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta among four warmed soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the pasta. Drizzle each portion with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano (sparingly, as it is quite salty) and serve.