A riff on Pasta con Broccoli, the beloved Italian classic where tender broccoli, garlic, and good olive oil melt into a silky, cheese-flecked sauce right in the pot. A splash of lemon and a few little twists make it even better.

This recipe is inspired by the Italian staple, Pasta con Broccoli, which is a comforting, simple dish made with simple ingredients — broccoli, garlic, olive oil and pasta water. I’ve seen it with cheese and sometimes without, but my personal vote is with. Use a quality Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano for the flavour and the way it melts and binds with the starchy pasta water to create a lovely, silky sauce.

From there, I couldn't help but add a few twists of my own — bright lemon, a fine dice of shallot, and a little caper paste that sneaks in brininess without anyone quite knowing why the dish tastes so good.

More about my flavour twists:

Lemon juice and zest — I love a bit of lemon juice with broccoli and other greens for a touch of brightness
Shallot — I fine-dice shallots for an extra aromatic dimension. You can sub shallot with onion.
Capers — This one might be controversial. I add a bit of caper ‘paste’ which is just finely mincing capers until they form a paste-like consistency. I’m a huge fan of the brininess and tang of capers, especially in pasta dishes. The caper paste gets sautéed in oil along with the garlic and shallot until fragrant, imparting its flavour in the background without being obvious. My husband and children never know it’s there! Feel free to omit the capers if it’s really not your thing.

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

Tips & FAQs:

1. Broccoli stems:

There is absolutely no reason to not use broccoli stems in the same exact way as the florets, ever. The trick is to trim the end, cut stem off crown, then cut or peel off the fibrous outer layer of the stem before using. The amount you have to shave off depends largely on how fresh the broccoli is – sometimes only a thin layer, sometimes quite a bit. The inner stem is tender and delicious and can be cooked exactly the same as the florets. I cut the stem into ½” pieces for this recipe. Tip: my favourite tool for peeling off the outer layer is a Y-shaped vegetable peeler.

2. Quality olive oil and cheese:

Since there are relatively few ingredients in this easy recipe, do use a quality extra virgin olive oil and quality cheese, i.e. not pre-grated parmesan in a tub, for best results.

3. Properly salted pasta water:

Take care to ensure pasta water is salted perfectly. I can’t emphasize this enough especially for simple recipes like this. It makes the difference between a flavourful versus bland dish. If you don’t season pasta from within (during cooking), it is difficult to salt at the end to achieve the same result.

4. Capers:

I love mincing capers into a paste to flavour pastas. My family never knows it’s there but it creates a little more depth in flavour in the background with its brininess. Skip it or use less if you don’t like capers. You do you!

Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon

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Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went. I love to hear about it!

Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon

Sonia x

Tips & FAQs:

1. Broccoli stems:

2. Quality olive oil and cheese:

3. Properly salted pasta water:

4. Capers:

Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic and Lemon