Finding easy, spring meals can be a struggle. Especially as the busy summer season hits. I decided to use some of the spring and summer produce in this delicious and easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta. It is a great main dish that provides a large portion and it great for those hot summer evenings.
I am not one that likes using the oven when it is hot. So our dinner meal plan gets a bit boring during the summer. My family LOVES pasta for dinner but when I think of red sauce and meatballs I think of cold cozy evenings. For summer I need a fresh and bright pasta dish. To do this I combined some of our favorite flavors – lemon and broccoli in a simple pasta dish.
Summer Ready With This Easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients:
1 pound dried spaghetti
5 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cups shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese blend
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Zest of one large lemon
Juice from one large lemon
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare spaghetti noddles as directed on box.
2. Two minutes before noodles are cooked, add the cut broccoli florets to the bowling noodles and water.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the cheese blend, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil until completely mixed together – set aside.
4. When the noodles and broccoli are cooked, carefully remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot and set aside.
5. Drain the remaining water from the pot and return noodles and broccoli to the pot once drained, add the peas to the pot.
6. Add the cheese and lemon mixture to the noodles and broccoli and toss to combine, adding 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid at a time as needed to moisten pasta dish.
7. Serve hot and topped with extra shredded cheese on top. ENJOY!
What I love about this dish is that it is easy and it is a great way to “sneak in” some great green veggies. The lemon flavor on the peas and broccoli are so good and the kids eat them right up! This recipe yield a great big bowl of pasta and can be made bigger with the more veggies you add…get creative. We have added fresh snap peas and cauliflower a few times as well. So good!
Easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta
For summer I need a fresh and bright pasta dish. To do this I combined some of our favorite flavors - lemon and broccoli in a simple pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese blend
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- zest from one large lemon
- juice from one large lemon
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Prepare spaghetti noddles as directed on box. Two minutes before noodles are cooked, add the cut broccoli florets to the bowling noodles and water.
-
In a medium mixing bowl combine the cheese blend, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil until completely mixed together - set aside.
-
When the noodles and broccoli are cooked, carefully remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot and set aside.
-
Drain the remaining water from the pot and return noodles and broccoli to the pot once drained, add the peas to the pot.
-
Add the cheese and lemon mixture to the noodles and broccoli and toss to combine, adding 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid at a time as needed to moisten pasta dish.
-
Serve hot and topped with extra shredded cheese on top. ENJOY!
I love my creamy pasta sauces, but this one looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.