This is a broccoli-only version of the Pasta with Spicy Broccoli & Cauliflower from The Zuni Café Cookbook p 203. Recipe online here.
Near the end of the recipe, we are instructed to "Taste - every flavor should be clamoring for dominance" and I felt this was true as I ate this - garlic, chili, olives, anchovy and capers are all waving their hands and saying, "Here I am, taste me!" At the same time, there's a great range of textures - some of the broccoli is very tender, some browned and crisp and other bits are still more tender-crisp, chewy pasta, crunchy breadcrumbs and those little flavor explosions mentioned above. @FrogPrincesse mentioned the fennel seed not playing well, I decided to add it anyway and it's surely there in the background but I didn't find it too much. Maybe my fennel seeds are too old? This isn't going to knock my go-to broccoli pasta off its pedestal but I will certainly make it again and look forward to playing with the ingredients as suggested in the header notes.
I adjusted the amount of pasta downwards to 2 oz/serving and used oil-packed anchovies (instead of salted) and a mix of kalamata and oil-cured olives (instead of Niçoise, Gaeta or Nyons) but otherwise followed the recipe. Next time, I might up the capers or not rinse them as their acid punch was especially welcome.
I'll add a small comment on the wine. I was surprised to see that a chardonnay was recommended as I would usually serve a red with these flavors. I'm not a fan of super-oaky chardonnay but I decided to open a bottle of Rusack 2016 Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, Mt. Carmel Vineyard (review here), aged in oak, but not overwhelmingly so, and it was the perfect pairing where both the wine and the food make the other taste better. I had some red open to make the figs in red wine so I sampled that and it was another flavor fighting for dominance with everything else in the recipe.
