Hide the cheese

Never miss a recipe!



HOME

ABOUT

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fig, Lemon, and Thyme Jam
  • Weekend Snapshots: Nelson Rocks, West Virginia
  • Potato and Dill Frittata
  • Chloe's 9th Birthday
  • Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
  • Cooking with Mother Goose: Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella
  • Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad
  • Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies
  • Kale and Clementine Salad
  • Weekend Snapshots: Bottling at Black Ankle Vineyards

SEASONS

  • Winter
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Anytime

MENU

  • Breakfast
  • Snack
  • Appetizer
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Entree
  • Side Dish
  • Dessert
  • Condiment
  • Beverage

CATEGORIES

  • Basics
  • Comfort Food
  • Easy to Freeze
  • Farmers' Market Find
  • Feeds an Army
  • Garden Variety
  • Guest Post
  • Lunch Box
  • Out of the Kitchen
  • Out of the Mouths of Babes
  • Party Food
  • Picnic Food
  • Potluck Dish
  • Quick Meal
  • Teacher Gift

Archives

  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
Subscribe to this blog's feed

The content of this site is the product of my love, sweat, and tears. Please do not reproduce it without my permission.
Contact me for permission.

Fresh Broccoli Lemon Pasta

Click to Print This Page (top banner and side navigation will not print)

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.


Web design by Slice Interactive.