Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint

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(4,624)
Comments
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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.

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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
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

796 calories; 44 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 81 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 797 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,624 user ratings
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Comments

Ada Press

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 B

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.

Izzy

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!!

Reni

Full disclosure: we did not expect this recipe to be so beautifully complex in its flavors. So we added lots of garlic, pine nuts instead of walnuts, half a shallot, and shrimp. Yes, it all worked wonderfully. But the recipe is just a work of genius as is. I hope one day I’ll be able to explain how, as one commenter stated, it’s grater than the sum of its parts, but for now my palette is extremely happy. And yes, use a bunch of mint as it takes it to another level!

Linda

We made this tonight. We used parsley instead of mint. This was easy and delicious. We did not think it was dry. The lemon and the olive oil give it plenty of liquid. Don't skimp on broccoli or nuts; they are great in this recipe.

Kelly S

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!

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