Pasta with Broccoli and Spicy Apples

I know there are some people (Mom? Dad?) who would never, ever make this, because it includes fruit in a main course pasta dish. HOWEVER: it's extremely good. Good enough that I wanted to eat it right away rather than taking a picture. The original plan called for everything but the apples, but it just was looking like it was going to be too high a pasta-to-vegetable ratio... and we had apples... Seriously, apples sauteed with garlic and red pepper flakes might be my new favorite thing.

Pasta with Broccoli and Spicy Apples

3/4 pound small tubular pasta
1 large head broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 red & green apple (i.e., Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, or Braeburn), diced
2 large cloves garlic, diced
4 tbsp olive oil
a few stale saltine crackers, crushed
red pepper flakes, to taste
Swiss cheese, grated, for sprinkling

Start the water boiling for the pasta, and in another pot, start water boiling for the broccoli. Chop up the broccoli, garlic, and apple, if you haven't already. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. (When the water boils, add the pasta and broccoli.) Add the garlic and fry just until the garlic begins to color; immediately add the apples and red pepper flakes (about three dashes) and stir well. Continue to cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently; you may need to add another tablespoon of oil. Check the pasta and broccoli. This is not the time to undercook your broccoli; you want it to be soft so it begins to fall apart as you stir it into the pasta. Drain the broccoli when it's done. At that point, add the crushed saltines to the apple/garlic mixture and stir thoroughly. Continue to cook another two or three minutes. Meanwhile, drain the pasta. Combine the pasta and broccoli; add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir thoroughly. Then add the apple mixture, stir thoroughly, and serve immediately. Top with grated Swiss cheese just before eating.

Serves 3-4.