This Lemon Broccoli Pasta is a fast and easy weeknight dinner that will be done in just 25 minutes! It's packed with bright, fresh lemon and creamy parmesan cheese for flavors that the whole family will love. Plus this pasta with broccoli is a low-heat meal for summer and great for entertaining.
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Is it just me, or are all recipes that sneak in extra vegetables automatic winners? Besides the fact that this Lemon Broccoli Pasta recipe is simple and fast to make, it easily convinces me that broccoli is delicious (not always an easy feat). The recipe inspiration came from Ina Garten's Lemon Pasta with Broccoli, but we adjusted the ingredient ratios for the best broccoli pasta!
If you're looking for other simple dinner recipes, I recommend these delicious Chicken Tinga Tacos with Rotisserie Chicken or this 4 Ingredient Potato Soup.
🏅 Why this recipe is great
- Done in 25 minutes
- Uses affordable ingredients
- Sneaks in extra vegetables
- Lots of fresh flavor
- Equally great for a busy weeknight or for entertaining
- Low heat meal for hot summers
🍋 Ingredients
A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:
- Broccoli: You can cut heads of broccoli into small florets yourself, or buy broccoli florets pre-cut to make it easier. Use fresh broccoli, not frozen.
- Pasta: We use penne pasta, but you can substitute with rigatoni, bow-tie pasta, rotini pasta, or something similar. You can also use gluten-free pasta if you prefer.
- Fresh garlic: It's easiest to buy minced garlic, but you can also mince your own.
- Lemon zest and juice: Fresh lemons are a powerhouse of flavor, so don't skip this. Use a microplane (affiliate) to zest them easily.
- Parmesan cheese: A fresh block of parmesan that you shred yourself is the best. Pre-shredded, real parmesan is also fine.
- Pine nuts (optional): Toasted pine nuts complement the flavors of this pasta very well. Pine nuts can be pricey, so I usually leave them out.
🔪 How to make lemon broccoli pasta
- Cut the broccoli, zest and juice the lemons, and grate the parmesan. You can grate the cheese and zest the lemons with a microplane (affiliate).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the broccoli. Remove and cook the pasta in the same water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve some pasta water for later.
- Whisk up the pan sauce in a skillet over medium heat while the pasta is boiling. I love using this electric skillet (affiliate), but a large skillet on the stove is good too.
- Toss the tender broccoli and pasta with the sauce and add parmesan. Add reserved water if needed to adjust consistency.
- Sprinkle with extra parmesan and serve!
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
Lemon Broccoli Pasta is the perfect recipe for entertaining, yet very simple to throw together, even with company around. When doubling the recipe, I recommend boiling the broccoli in two rounds (so as to not overcrowd the pot). I also suggest using two large skillets instead of one (make one recipe of sauce in each skillet).
🙋 Questions & Answers
This recipe is best served fresh, but you can prep it ahead. Cut the broccoli, shred the parmesan, and mince the garlic. Store each ingredient in a separate air-tight container, then cook the next day.
If you need to hold the pasta for awhile before serving, you can keep it warm in a slow cooker. Before you start the pasta, fill your slow cooker with an inch of water and turn the heat on high (the water prevents the crock from ruining). When your pasta is ready, dump the water out and turn the heat to “keep warm.” Add the pasta and cover with the lid until serving time.
Leftovers store well in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. Reheat gently in the microwave. If the pasta is a bit dry, add a splash of water, chicken broth, or a bit of oil. You can also add fresh parmesan or a splash of lemon juice to revive the flavor.
📖 More easy dinners
- 5 Ingredient Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin - One of those recipes that never receives a complaint in our house!
- Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast - A super easy slow cooker meal for the next time you have a comfort-food craving.
- Grilled Honey Chicken (un)Kabobs - The first time you make these will win you over.... these are a repeat menu item for us.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the broccoli florets are similar in size so that they cook evenly. I aim for bite size pieces.
- Use fresh, real lemon. The bottled lemon juice is just not the same.
- Use real parmesan cheese. The powdery cheese from the green can doesn't have the same creamy texture or quality of flavor.
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
Easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets about 1 ½ lbs or 4 heads cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 lb penne pasta or substitute bow tie pasta
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup parmesan cheese plus more for serving if desired
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon or sieve and set aside.8 cups broccoli florets
- Return the water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions (about 10-12 minutes). Before draining, reserve 1-2 tablespoon of the pasta water in a small cup. Then drain pasta and set aside with broccoli.1 lb penne pasta
- In a large skillet on the stove or electric skillet, melt butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Stir well.4 tablespoon butter, 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, Zest of 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- Add the cooked broccoli, pasta, parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir well, adding additional pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency. Top with extra parmesan or toasted pine nuts if desired.½ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Make sure the broccoli florets are similar in size so that they cook evenly. I aim for bite size pieces.
- Use fresh lemons. The bottled lemon juice is just not the same.
- Use real parmesan cheese. The powdery cheese from the green can doesn't have the same creamy texture or quality of flavor.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Rachel says
Fast, easy, simple ingredients, and best of all, DELICIOUS. I made sure to use actual lemon juice and real Parmesan cheese. Make sure your skillet is truly large as I underestimated how fast this recipe grows once you combine all ingredients into the skillet. I will absolutely be making again!
Danielle says
Yes, it does require a large skillet! So happy to hear you loved it as much as we do. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! We love that!
Janessa says
I am such a fan! That was fast and really flavorful. I’ll make this again for sure.
Misty says
Happy you liked it. It's on my meal plan on repeat too!
Theresa D. says
This was so fabulous, the whole pan was licked clean. Even my picky eater loved this!!! Thank you so much for sharing your food with us!
Danielle says
Yay!So happy you loved it. It certainly is a favorite around here.
Patricia M. says
This recipe is SO easy and delicious!
Misty says
Glad you loved it!