Lemon Broccoli Pasta

A very easy and quick one-pot dinner, this broccoli pasta has a light lemon sauce and the broccoli is cooked with the pasta water.

Course Autumn, Main Course, Mains, Spring

Cuisine European

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 725kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

Ingredients

1 large broccoli
Zest of a lemon
Juice of a lemon 2-3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic finely grated or minced
½ teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes optional, to taste
250 grams (2 ¼ cups) short pasta
120 ml (½ cup) reserved pasta water
Handful fresh basil, chopped optional

Metric - Cups

Instructions

Start by prepping the broccoli. Cut the head into small florets, then peel the stem and chop into pieces about 3 cm (1 in.) in size. Set aside.
1 large broccoli
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes (if using) to a heat-safe mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Zest of a lemon, Juice of a lemon, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well. Cook the pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is finished cooking (set a timer), add the broccoli to the water to cook. Before draining - when you add the broccoli - reserve about 120ml (½ cup) of the starchy pasta water (don't forget!).
250 grams (2 ¼ cups) short pasta, 120 ml (½ cup) reserved pasta water
Whisk about 4 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water into the lemon sauce mixture, beating until the sauce is smooth and thickened. You may need slightly more pasta water.
Drain the pasta and broccoli and return to the pot. Add the lemon sauce and basil, then stir well to coat the pasta in the sauce. Serve immediately.
Handful fresh basil, chopped

Notes

You may eat a little less than we do and might want to reduce the amount of pasta slightly - this is half a bag of pasta and just the right amount but we're quite active.

This just blanches the broccoli and it still has quite a bit of bite. If you prefer it to be softer, cook for 3-4 minutes instead.

Boil your pasta in less water than usual, just enough to cover, so that it's starchier and helps to thicken the sauce more effectively.

Unless you're very speedy at prep, I recommend chopping the broccoli before you put the pot on to boil the water. When I had my partner (a more beginner cook) test this recipe to check timings, he struggled with having the broccoli ready in time to add to the pasta when he started chopping at the same time the pot went onto the burner. I adjusted the way the recipe is written to account for this.

Nutrition