Mafaldine Limone Broccoli Pasta (Printable Version)

Zesty mafaldine pasta with tender broccoli, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan in a silky, bright sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta & Vegetables

01 - 12.3 oz mafaldine pasta
02 - 1 medium head broccoli (about 12.3 oz), cut into small florets
03 - Zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
04 - Juice of 1 lemon
05 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
06 - 1.4 oz grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 oz unsalted butter
09 - 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 - Additional lemon zest (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the mafaldine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy cooking water before draining.
02 - During the last 3 to 4 minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets directly to the boiling pasta water to blanch until crisp-tender. Drain the pasta and broccoli together.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter together. Add the minced garlic and chili flakes if using, and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, blanched broccoli, and drained mafaldine to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to combine, then sprinkle in the grated Parmesan, stirring continuously until a silky, cohesive sauce forms. If the pasta appears dry, incorporate the reserved cooking water a splash at a time.
05 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped parsley.
06 - Transfer to warm serving plates immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan and lemon zest if desired, and serve at once.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The lemon sauce clings to every ruffled edge of mafaldine like it was engineered for this exact pasta shape.
  • Broccoli becomes something you actually crave when it spends those final minutes swimming with garlic and butter in a hot skillet.
  • Thirty five minutes from pot to plate and most of that is just waiting for water to boil.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain because once it is gone you cannot get it back and you will need it to bring the sauce together.
  • Do not let the garlic brown even slightly because burnt garlic turns bitter and will ruin the gentle lemon profile of the entire dish.
03 -
  • Grate the Parmesan as finely as possible so it dissolves instantly into the sauce rather than clumping or stringing.
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest because the fine texture distributes the lemon oils evenly through every single bite.

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