One-Pot Pasta With Broccoli and Lemon
This recipe delivers a quick and convenient one-pot pasta dish featuring penne, fresh broccoli, bright lemon, and savory Parmesan cheese. Ideal for a weeknight meal, it simplifies cleanup while offering a balanced and flavorful main course ready in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot Preferably a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent scorching
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Microplane or Box Grater For garlic and lemon zest
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
Main
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound penne
- 1 pound broccoli head cut into florets (3 ½ cups), stems peeled and thinly sliced (1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 lemon)
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan 1 ounce, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the broccoli: cut the head into small florets (approximately 3 ½ cups) and peel the stems, then thinly slice them (about 1 cup).
- In a large pot, combine the 1 pound of penne, prepared broccoli florets and sliced stems, 1 finely grated garlic clove, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 4 ½ cups water.
- Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring very frequently, for about 10 minutes.
- Cook until the pasta is al dente (firm to the bite) and most of the water has been absorbed and evaporated, leaving a creamy sauce.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the 2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
- Add ½ cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously until it melts into the sauce and creates a creamy consistency.
- Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately, garnishing each portion with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
For this one-pot method, the water ratio is critical; too much results in mushy pasta, too little leaves it dry. Stir frequently to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to ensure even cooking and sauce development. The starch released from the pasta helps create a creamy sauce. Always zest your lemon before juicing it for easier extraction. Add the Parmesan off the heat to prevent it from clumping and to maintain a smooth, emulsified sauce. Adjust seasoning at the end; the salt from the Parmesan and initial seasoning should be a good base.