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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.