About
What better way to eat your greens than with Creamy Broccoli Pasta? The broccoli is tender and fresh, providing a beautiful contrast to the richness of the aromatically seasoned and lemon-accented sauce. A touch of parmesan and a crunchy, buttery breadcrumb topping makes Creamy Broccoli Pasta a dish with true pizzazz! Amazing for something made in half an hour!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more, to taste, for serving
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1 -In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 2 -Add the panko to the melted butter and cook, while stirring occasionally, until toasted.
Step 3 -Transfer the toasted panko to a bowl and set it aside.
Step 4 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the spaghetti and cook it until it is al dente, according to the package directions. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and cook it until it is tender.
Step 5 -Drain the spaghetti mixture.
Step 6 -In a large pot over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.
Step 7 -Add the shallots and the garlic to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 8 -Add the flour to the shallot mixture and whisk to combine until the raw flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.
Step 9 -While whisking the shallot mixture, slowly add the broth and continue to whisk until no lumps remain.
Step 10 -Add the heavy cream, the Italian seasoning, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the lemon zest to the shallot mixture and stir to combine.
Step 11 -Bring the sauce mixture to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 12 -Add 1 cup of the parmesan cheese to the sauce mixture and stir until the cheese is melted.
Step 13 -Add the lemon juice to the sauce mixture and stir to combine.
Step 14 -Add the spaghetti mixture to the sauce mixture and stir until well-coated.
Step 15 -Transfer the pot from the heat.
Step 16 -Season the spaghetti mixture with the salt and the black pepper.
Step 17 -Serve topped with the toasted panko breadcrumbs and the extra parmesan.
