8 ounces spinach linguine (or any pasta)7 tablespoons soft butter 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 shallots, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or more, to taste A handful of arugula, roughly chopped 1 cup breadcrumbs 2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces 3-4 cups broccoli & romanesco florets, cut into tiny pieces Thin strip of lemon peel, very finely slivered Salt Pepper Parmesan cheese

Cream 4 tablespoons of the butter with the mustard, shallots, garlic, vinegar, and arugula.  This can be done well ahead of time, then covered and set aside until needed. Melt the remaining butter, add the breadcrumbs, and fry them until they are crisp and browned.

When you are ready to cook the pasta, salt the boiling water, melt the mustard butter over a low flame and add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and the sun-dried tomatoes.  Drop the broccoli and romanesco into the boiling pasta water, return to a boil, and cook about 1 minute.  Scoop them out, and add them to the butter.

Next cook the pasta; then add it with the lemon to the vegetables.  Toss well with a pair of tongs to mix everything together, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Garnish with the breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

adapted from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison