I’ll be frank: I have a tendency to resist pasta dishes like this one. I’m a sauce kind of girl. I grew up in a family where spaghetti with marinara sauce was at least a weekly thing (at least!), and while we occasionally ventured out and tried a different type of sauce, we rarely went with something so minimalist as olive oil and lemon juice. But you know what? I’ve always ordered olive oil pasta dishes at restaurants, and loved them. It’s time to start exploring this type of dish in my own kitchen.
The Magic Ingredients
Penne pasta. I like this dish with penne, but you can substitute just about any variety of dried pasta. Try spaghetti, rigatoni, or orchiette.Broccoli. We’re using fresh broccoli here. Fresh in essential because you can cook it up tender-crisp, which is the perfect texture for pairing it with pasta, in my opinion.Olive oil. Use a good quality olive oil and don’t skimp on it. Olive oil is crucial to preventing a sauceless pasta dish like this one from turning out dry.Garlic. This is our key ingredient for packing in the flavor. Use plenty of garlic! If you’re one of those people who always throws extra garlic into a recipe, go for it. You won’t hurt my feelings. If you tend to cut back on the amount (why?), please don’t do it. I’ll know.Lemon juice. Make sure it’s freshly squeezed!Nutritional yeast flakes. These are totally optional, but they add a savory, cheesy flavor to the pasta. Look for them in the natural foods section of your supermarket.Lemon zest.Salt & pepper.Red pepper flakes. You can leave these out if you’d like a milder version of the dish.Fresh basil or parsley.
Tip: Not a fan of broccoli? Try subbing another veggie. Cauliflower, kale, and asparagus are all good choices.
How to Make Broccoli Pasta
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Boil your pasta according to the package directions. Make sure to salt your pasta water.Blanch the broccoli in the pasta water. This is my secret trick that makes the dish come together super easily and giving the broccoli that perfect tender-crisp texture. Just throw it into your pasta water about 30 seconds before the pasta is done cooking.Drain your broccoli and pasta together.
Now for the sauce. Heat up a generous amount of olive oil in a skillet. Add your and give it a brief sauté.Add your pasta and broccoli, along with some lemon juice. Sauté everything for just a minute or two, until piping hot.
Take your skillet off of the stove and season your pasta with some lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and, if you like, nutritional yeast. Add salt to taste.
Sprinkle your vegan broccoli pasta with some fresh parsley or cilantro, and serve.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover lemon broccoli pasta will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Balsamic Asparagus PastaEasy Tomato Basil PastaWeeknight Vegan Pasta PuttanescaGarlic Butter & Herb Pasta with ChickpeasCreamy Kale Pasta
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