Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint

Name: Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: Kosher salt and black pepper; 12 ounces riccioli, fusilli or other short pasta; 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional); 1 bunch broccoli or cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds untrimmed), florets roughly chopped and stalks peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick; 1 lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon) then quartered; 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving; 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves or parsley leaves

By Dawn Perry

Published April 15, 2020

Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint — Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 5(4,563)
Comments: Read comments

The trick to creating deeply browned, pan-seared broccoli involves two things: high heat and no touching. Allowing your florets and stems to sear in an even layer, undisturbed, gives them time to blister without cooking all the way through, so they retain some crunch. While many pasta sauces are finished with starchy pasta water, this one isn’t, since the hot water would strip the broccoli of that color and crunch you worked so hard to achieve. Instead, toss the cooked pasta in the skillet with the broccoli, walnuts and cheese. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon will provide any additional moisture you need.

Featured in: Five Fast Pastas for Long Days

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Kosher salt and black pepper
12ounces riccioli, fusilli or other short pasta
½cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
¼ to ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
1bunch broccoli or cauliflower (about 1½ pounds untrimmed), florets roughly chopped and stalks peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
1lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon) then quartered
½cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving
1cup packed fresh mint leaves or parsley leaves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the walnuts and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer walnuts and red-pepper flakes to a small bowl. Season walnuts with a little salt and pepper.
Step 3
Add the broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil. Shake the skillet so broccoli settles in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Toss and shake to arrange in an even layer again and cook, undisturbed, another 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Step 4
Drain pasta and add to the skillet along with the lemon zest, cheese, toasted walnuts and half the mint; toss to combine. Divide among plates or bowls and top with remaining mint, more cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges, squeezing juice on top, if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5

4,563 user ratings

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Comments

Ada Press5 years ago

This was way too dry. The concept of blistered broccoli is wonderful. But dry? Not so wonderful. Here's a suggestion. Keep the blistered broccoli aside, out of the liquid you need to add to make this a cohesive dish. Just add some left-over pasta water (approx. 1/2 cup) to the pasta as you sprinkle with cheese, etc. Then add the blistered broccoli last, to keep it from getting soggy. Now you have just a little sauce, which brings it all together.... That's All, Folks!

Heather B5 years ago

This was quite tasty, but I plan to make a few changes the next time I make it. 1. Fry the walnuts whole, and then cool and chop. Trying to remove chopped nuts from hot oil was tricky. 2. I will roast the broccoli. There was too much to get into a single layer in the pan, and I didn't get as much sear as I'd like. 3. I'll add some onion and garlic, because that is never unwelcome. 4. I will save some of the pasta water to make more of a sauce.

Izzy5 years ago

Absolute slam dunk. I prepped the lemon zest, grated cheese, measured walnuts etc and the whole thing came together between boiling the water and sprinkling the parsley. Delicious!!

Kelly S4 weeks ago

Yes, as someone else recommended, add the pasta water to make a "sauce" with the cheese and then put the broccoli in last. Added the juice of 1/2 a lemon too. Otherwise, it is way too dry! Also like the idea of roasting the walnuts whole and then chopping them up!

Justin BR4 weeks ago

Easier: over roast the broccoli as per Serious Eats, toast nuts separately with some bread crumbs like traditional pangratatto, then toss all to combine.

Heather1 month ago

As others suggested, I roasted the broccoli to get a nice char -- 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I did fry up a can of chickpeas in the oil for 15 minutes (dried them well before frying) and put in the walnuts and red pepper flakes for the last minute. The crunch (and protein) of the chickpeas was a nice addition. With plenty of salt and pepper on all components throughout, a half of lemon's worth of juice at the end there was plenty of flavor. Will definitely make again.

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