Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli

No ratings yet

Use the camera icon to toggle the step-by-step photos on and off. A super easy and delicious broccoli pasta with garlic, chilli and fresh lemon.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
Cut the stalk from the broccoli and trim the tough outer layer with a knife or vegetable peeler. Finely chop the rest of the stalk, then chop the florets into small to medium-sized pieces. Set aside (photo 1).
Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot, garlic and chilli. Heat a large pan on a medium-low heat and add around 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic and chilli and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened (photos 2 and 3).
Next, stir in the chopped broccoli and add 2 cups (500ml) of vegetable stock. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes (photo 4). After 10 minutes of cooking the broccoli, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. The broccoli should be soft and starting to break down. If there is not much liquid left in the pan, add around ½ cup (125ml) of pasta water to emulsify it (photo 5).
Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it to the broccoli, stirring to coat it in the sauce. Add more pasta water if needed (I usually add another ½ cup (125ml) at this point) (photo 6).
Turn off the heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir it in until melted. Finally, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve.

Chilli - the heat/spiciness of fresh red chillies vary so you can opt to use between 1/2 to a whole red chilli depending on your tolerance. I like to deseed my chilli and remove the white membrane inside. You can also use dried chilli flakes instead.
Storage - will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days. The pasta can be eaten cold, at room temperature or reheated on the stove until hot. Add more water to emulsify the sauce as you are reheating it.