My love for pasta doesn't stop when it gets warm outside, so I created this summery lemon ricotta pasta with roasted broccoli. This pasta is super refreshing and bright and goes great with some grilled chicken. More on that Later, BUT FIRST THE RECIPE! Photo recipe after the actual recipe!
Spring and Summer time is a great time to make this refreshing pasta. The brightness of the lemon makes this really refreshing and lighter than your typical tomato or meat sauce. The best thing about this pasta to me is it is great served hot or cold! Make this the night before for a great summer picnic recipe. Pack your lunch and don't worry about finding a microwave. This recipe really holds up!
Roasted Broccoli Ingredients:
2 Heads Broccoli
4 Cloves Garlic
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Salt
Pasta Ingredients:
1 Pound Cooked Pasta
1/4-1/2 Cup Reserved Pasta Water
1 Cup Ricotta
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (more for garnish)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Really, the first thing you want to do is bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook your pasta. Then you can start to prepare your roasted broccoli
Preparing the Roasted Broccoli:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven comes to temperature combine the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper, and a pinch of sauce to in a small blender to create the sauce for the broccoli. It will look super creamy. Then cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Include some stems if you wish for a variety of textures. Spread the broccoli onto a baking tray. Drizzle the sauce onto the broccoli and work the sauce into the florets with your hands to make sure everything is well covered. This will give you the best flavor. Spread the broccoli out onto the tray and Roast the broccoli for 15 minutes until the florets start to brown.
Tip: you can roast a few lemon slices with the broccoli to make a really pretty garnish for the pasta
Preparing the Pasta:
Prepare the pasta according to the package. Before Draining Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. This is more than you need, but I like to be over prepared.
In a large Saucepan on low heat add the ingredients for the sauce: 1 cup Ricotta, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, the zest of 1 lemon (grate the rind of a lemon with the smallest holed grater you have), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more if you want some heat). The sauce will look very thick at this point. Now add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. The starches from the water will keep the sauce from getting too thin. If you want a thinner sauce you can add a little bit of pasta water at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Heat this until the sauce is just warm. Add the salt and pepper to taste at this point.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat all the noodles making sure you mix the all the sauce from the bottom of the pan. Do the same with the broccoli until everything is just combined. Garnish with some roasted lemon slices. some additional fresh grated parmesan and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.
Give it a try and let me know how you like it! Serve this with a grilled chicken for a nice summer night dinner and don't forget a glass of white wine!
xoxo Emily
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