Bow Tie Pasta With Broccoli and Broccoli Sauce

I've gotten 8 year old boys to eat this and ask for seconds. They never knew they were eating broccoli and I didn't tell them. I adore this dish. Normally I cook with olive oil but the butter in this sauce should not be substituted. It will serve 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course. The original recipe comes from Rozanne Gold, a favorite cookbook author.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1  lb broccoli
• 1 1⁄4 cups water
• 8  ounces bow tie pasta
• 2  tablespoons butter, cold and cut in pieces
•  salt

Directions

1. Cut the broccoli buds into small florets, leaving as short a stem as possible; set aside; cut the remaining broccoli stems into 1/2" pieces; boil them, covered, in the 1 1/4 cups water, lightly salted, for 15 minutes or until very soft.
2. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water; return the pasta to the pot and stir until all moisture is evaporated.
3. Place the reserved florets into a small pot and steam or boil 5 minutes, retaining the bright green color and a bit of crunch.
4. In a food processor, puree the cooked broccoli and its cooking water until very smooth, adding a bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to make a smooth sauce; add the butter and pulse until melted; add salt to taste.
5. Pour warm sauce over the pasta and stir gently to combine; plate and sprinkle with drained florets.