Cacio e Pepe with Beans and Broccoli

Place the dried Great Northern beans in a pot and cover with regular water. Let them soak overnight (8-12 hours) to cut down on cooking time and improve texture.

The next day, drain the soak water from the beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly.

Return the beans to the pot and add fresh water, covering them by about 2 inches (a few centimeters). Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt.

Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until just barely firm. Add more water if the pot gets too dry.

Once the beans are almost done, kill the heat and ladle off about half of the cooked beans into a separate bowl. These can be saved for another meal.

While the beans are simmering, cut the broccoli crown into small florets.

Add the broccoli florets to the pot with the remaining beans. Turn the heat back on, cover, and steam for the last few minutes while the beans finish cooking, until the broccoli is almost tender.

Prepare the optional garnishes: finely chop fresh sage leaves, garlic, and red chili. Zest the lemon.

Once the broccoli is tender, turn off the heat. Grate a generous amount of Pecorino Romano cheese into the pot with the beans and broccoli. Add a whole tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Stir everything together until the cheese melts and the sauce comes together, thickening from the bean starch. If it's too thin, add more cheese, smash some beans, or simmer a little longer (but don't boil hard to avoid gritty cheese). If too thick, add a splash of water.

Serve the Cacio e Pepe with Beans and Broccoli. Garnish with the chopped sage, garlic, chili, lemon zest, and edible sage flowers if desired.