After that recipe for pecan bars (and after polishing off the last of our stash), I am definitely in the mood for something healthier. And what is healthier than broccoli? Amazingly, our children will all eat broccoli. Actually, it's more accurate to say that none of them will reject pasta just because it has broccoli in it, although I often find that they have eaten the pasta and left a heap of broccoli behind.
Broccoli, trimmed and ready to go.
There are beautiful heads of broccoli at the farmers' markets now, so this is the time to make the most of it. We have been making a broccoli pasta with sour cream for years and love it, but the night I first made this we didn't have any sour cream and I will go to great lengths to avoid going to the grocery store. Instead, I made this version of a broccoli pasta with the ingredients that I had on hand. (Incidentally, I thought I had posted that broccoli sour cream pasta recipe a long time ago, but I can't find it in the archives. Does anyone remember reading it? Have I lost my mind?)
The broccoli in this recipe is so good that I had to stop myself from eating it right out of the pan. The garlic and parsley get chopped together into a persillade which is just a fancy French word for . . . well, at its simplest, it just means garlic and parsley chopped together. The lemon zest adds a bit of brightness that nicely complements the heartiness of the broccoli.
The lemon-parsley combination. Can you smell it?
If that's not enough to convince you, then you should also know that it only takes about 30 minutes to make. Chop the broccoli first, then you can prep the rest of the dish while the pasta water boils and the broccoli sautés. Also, with the broccoli and pasta in one dish, you don't even need a vegetable or salad on the side.
I polled the family after we had this pasta to see how they liked it compared to the original broccoli-sour cream pasta. We had a split decision, which admittedly is not easy to do in a family of 5. Everyone said that they liked both, but two preferred this new version, two preferred the family classic, and one liked them both so didn't choose a favorite.
Second Helping: Roasted Beet, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Just add pasta.
Fresh Broccoli Lemon Pasta
Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time
about 25 minutes cooking time
2 small heads broccoli (about 6-8 cups of florets)
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 pound short pasta such as penne or farfalle
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
freshly grated parmesan for serving
Set a large pot of water to boil.
Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. I use the stems, too. If they are very thick, peel off the outer layer; if they are small, don't bother. Slice the stems across into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick).
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally so that the broccoli browns but does not burn. Cook until the florets are tender to the bite, which, depending on the size of the pieces, will take about 20 minutes.
While the broccoli is cooking, chop the parsley and garlic cloves together and zest the lemon. When the broccoli is tender, remove the pan from the heat, add the parsley, garlic, and lemon, and toss it together. Set the pan aside.
When the water has come to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta until it is al dente; for me this is usually 1 minute less than the time called for on the box. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. (I remind myself to do this by setting a measuring cup in the colander while the pasta is cooking. When I pour the pasta out to drain it, I pour a bit in the measuring cup first.) Drain the pasta and return it to the pan.
Immediately add the broccoli. If you like, add a bit of the pasta water to give the mixture a bit of a sauce. Serve hot and add parmesan at the table.
Jobs for children: Children can zest the lemon, wash the broccoli and parsley, and peel the garlic. Older children can chop the broccoli, garlic and parsley, too.
Made this over the weekend and loved it!
Posted by: Alexis | November 15, 2010 at 11:21 AM