Bring a large saucepan with plenty of salted water in it to the boil. Divide the broccoli into small florets. Rinse well and drain.

Remove the seeds from the chilli peppers if using fresh, and cut into thin rings; if using dried chillis, crumble them.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying-pan and cook the garlic very briefly (do not allow to colour).

Add the chillis and broccoli and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, then turn down the heat to very low, cover and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, adding a little water at intervals to prevent the contents catching and burning. The vegetables should be tender but still crisp.

Add the pasta to the saucepan of fast boiling water and cook until just tender. Reserve about 4 fl oz (120 ml) of the cooking water, drain off the rest and add the pasta to the broccoli, together with some or all of the reserved water.

Cook, uncovered, for 1 minute, using a spatula to merely lift the pasta off the bottom of the wok or pan, allowing the broccoli to mix without stirring it.