“Even the pickiest children will like this pasta.”
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 3 cups elbow macaroni (about 12 ounces)
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until they are crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes, taking care not to let them burn. Scrape into a small bowl and toss with the lemon zest and parsley and then season with salt.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente while you make the sauce. Wipe out the skillet used to toast the breadcrumbs and return it to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and, when the oil is hot, add the broccoli and toss to coat. Saute until it turns bright green, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, then pour in the stock. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
- When the pasta is done, scoop it out of the water with a spider or a small strainer and add directly to the sauce, reserving the pasta water. Simmer the pasta with the sauce just to blend the flavors, 1 to 2 more minutes, then drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and toss again.
- If the sauce seems dry, add up to 1/2 cup pasta water. Off the heat, stir in the cheese. Serve in warmed bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 497 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 21 g |
| Cholesterol | 18 mg |
| Sodium | 588 mg |
Reviews
More interesting flavors than regular macaroni and cheese!
Excellent!
Fantastic
My new favorite pasta recipe. Easy and SO delicious!
It’s fast easy and flavorful!
Super fast and easy, my toddler loved it – added a quarter cup of cream at the end to add some creaminess and a squeeze of the zested lemon for some zing.
Great easy recipe ! I am Italian so I used a lot more garlic than called for in the recipe but otherwise I made it as is . The breadcrumbs really added a great flavor ! Will make this again !
Be prepared when you make this recipe:there really is no sauce. While everything tastes quite good all together, it is basically noodles with broccoli, as the broth more or less just kind of falls to the bottom of the bowl. Also when adding the broccoli be careful, as water-laden broccoli and hot oil are not likely to get along with one another. I do believe next time shocking the broccoli rather than cooking it in the pan will be the best option, as will be trying to perhaps reduce the sauce down so that it became a proper sauce. Still though, an affordable and very very quick meal!
It was awesome! The whole family loved it! I made a few changes…used noodles instead of elbow macaroni, left out the lemon and red pepper (I knew my kids wouldn’t like it) and used more garlic. They asked if we can have this every week! Thanks for a great recipe!
Delish! The lemon and parsley in the bread crumbs made the dish bright and flavorful. The sauce and broccoli had good flavor. Might add an additional garlic clove. Dont be afraid of the red pepper; it flavors a lot of pasta, so it’s not hot.