When I was just in New York, I went out to Connecticut to see my Dad's best friend and his family. "Mrs. B" always makes this incredible pasta! It's so good I literally eat like 3 bowls every time she makes it. It's soooo good! This is one of those dishes that is filled with so many memories! When I make it I do alter it just a little. I add fresh parsley and basil and I usually end up making it with brocolini instead of broccoli. But that doesn't matter because it's still dripping with butter and lemon!
Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon
Serves 6
What you'll need:
1 lb. pasta (I use bowties because that's what "Mrs. B" uses, but penne, rigatoni, or even linguini would be nice)
4-5 heads of broccoli (you can very this a lot by how much you like broccoli), cut up into bite size pieces
1 stick of butter (or earth balance it you are making it vegan)
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
the juice of 1 lemon (ps use the one from above so all you need is 1 lemon)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
about 5 leaves of fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
What you'll do:
Steam the broccoli in a large pasta pot until just fork tender (the broccoli will continue to cook, so don't over cook!). Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove all the broccoli and set aside in a bowl. Now fill the pot with more water and cook the pasta in the broccoli water.
In a smaller pot, melt butter and add olive oil and garlic. Saute on medium low for a few seconds and add the lemon zest. Turn the heat down to low and add the lemon juice. (it's going to bubble a lot)
When the pasta is al dente, strain it and return it to the big pot. Add in the cooked broccoli and stir in the lemon/butter sauce. Toss in the chopped herbs and pine nuts. Serve immediately.
I hope you enjoy as much as I always do!
**Side note: I cook the pasta in the vegetable water because my Grandmother always does. She says that the vegetables lose most of their nutrients when you steam them, but if you boil your pasta in the same water, the pasta with re absorb the nutrients. This may or may not be true, but I always hear her voice in my head when I'm cooking : )
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I love the story of your grandmother!
Do you steam the broccoli whole, or cut it up, or do you cut it up after steaming, or does it go back in with the pasta uncut? I would think that if it’s cutup first, it would take less time to steam and fewer nutrients would be lost. Yes/no/maybe?
Yes Pavel, you do cut it up first. I just like doing it mainly because it reminds me of my Grandma : )
love the idea of cooking the pasta in the veggie water!
I love that there is a whole stick of butter in this recipe. I see so many pasta recipes that skimp on the oil and butter – I hate that! This looks absolutely delicious, and I will definitely be making it at some point!
I like the way your grandmother thinks.
yum! at first glance, i thought that was a rubber ducky by your bowl, lol
Maybe it’s my photographic eye, but those lemons look like a rubber ducky! Are your serious! Food looks yummy! Thanks
Oh my gosh! You are right! It looks just like a duck! I didn’t even notice.
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