Mafaldine Limone with Broccoli (Printable)

Creamy lemon mafaldine with tender broccoli — a bright, comforting Italian vegetarian dish ready in 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta & Vegetables

01 - 14 oz mafaldine pasta
02 - 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

→ Sauce

05 - Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
06 - ¾ cup heavy cream
07 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)
10 - Extra lemon zest (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the mafaldine pasta and cook according to package directions. When 5 minutes of cooking time remain, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender-crisp. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to let it brown.
03 - Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
04 - Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the sauce. Toss vigorously to coat everything evenly, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
05 - Serve immediately in warmed bowls, garnished with fresh basil leaves, an extra grating of Parmesan, and additional lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ruffled mafaldine noodles catch the creamy lemon sauce in every fold, making each bite more flavorful than the last.
  • It transforms humble broccoli into something luxurious without much effort or expense.
  • Everything comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, which is my definition of weeknight perfection.
02 -
  • Add the broccoli to the pasta pot with five minutes remaining, any earlier and it turns mushy and sad.
  • Reserve the pasta water before draining because that starchy liquid is the secret to a sauce that actually clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
  • Use an unwaxed lemon whenever possible because the zest on waxed fruit fights against you and never integrates smoothly into the sauce.
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce off the heat for the final thirty seconds so the cream does not break and the Parmesan melts evenly into every fold.

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