Creamy Broccoli Pasta with Cheese Sauce

In a large pot, bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli florets into very small pieces (it's worth using only the dark green florets; you can set aside the stems for soup, for example). Place the chopped broccoli in a large, fine sieve.

When the water starts to boil, salt it, add the pasta, and cook for 6–8 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel the onion and garlic. Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.

Shortly before the pasta is done, scoop out 400 ml of the cooking water and set it aside. Then drain the pasta through the sieve filled with broccoli – this way, the hot water simultaneously blanches the broccoli and drains the pasta.