Please keep it simple. This saying applies to everything in life, even food. Buttered pasta with a vegetable and a healthy amount of salt and vinegar is one of my favorite “stupid” meals. It’s simple and delicious, and there are a million variations. Roasted Broccoli Pasta With Lemon and Feta is buttered pasta with charred broccoli, steak seasonings, bright lemon, salty feta, and brightly colored. It’s a flavor combination that is unbeatable.
What is STEAK SEASONING?
One of my favorite pre-made spice mixes is steak seasoning. It’s also known as Montreal steak seasoning. The chunky, crunchy blend of spices contains large amounts of salt, pepper and garlic. This spice blend is great for steak but works well with potatoes, pasta, and many other foods. The coarsely ground spices give food a crunchy texture, subtle smokiness and flavor. It’s a great addition to any dish.
Most major grocery stores should carry some steak seasoning. McCormick has one. Aldi and Kroger also have one.
Do I have to use the whole WHEAT PASTA or just a portion?
Any pasta can be used for this recipe. However, I prefer the mildly nutty flavor and texture of whole wheat pasta to go with the flavors. You can also use long-shaped portions of pasta like linguine or spaghetti, but shorter shapes are easier to mix with the other ingredients. Bowtie or rotini can be used in place of penne.
FRESH LEMON IS A MUST
Fresh lemons add a lot to the flavor of this pasta, so don’t skip them! Although whole lemons are more expensive than the rest, you will pay less per lemon if you purchase a large bag of citrus and store them in your freezer. Although frozen lemons can be used for zesting and juicing, they are unsuitable for garnishing or cutting.
DO FROZEN ROSCOLOI WORK?
You know me if you know I love to roast frozen broccoli. It’s quick, simple, and delicious. However, I recommend fresh broccoli over frozen for this recipe. Fresh broccoli isn’t as “wet” as frozen broccoli. This gives you a better charring on the outside, which adds a smoky flavor and texture to this pasta. Although you can use frozen broccoli in pinches, fresh is better for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. Broccoli crowns ($1.79)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 teaspoon steak seasoning ($0.10)
- 1 fresh lemon (0.39)
- 8 oz. Whole wheat penne pasta ($0.50).
- 2 Tbsp butter (0.20)
- 1 oz. 1 oz.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400oF. Then cut the broccoli into small pieces. Spread the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the steak seasoning on top. Toss the broccoli in olive oil until well coated with seasonings and oil.
- Broccoli can be roasted for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are crispy.
- While the broccoli roasts, make the rest of your dish. Penne will be made with boiling water. Boil the water until it is boiling. Once the pasta has boiled, add the pasta to the pot and boil for another 8-10 minutes. The pasta should be drained in a colander.
- Once the pasta has boiled, zest a lemon and cut it into small pieces.
- Then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. The butter, the roasted broccoli, and about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest are added to the pot. Mix all ingredients and let the pasta heat melt the butter. You can add a few drops of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is too dry.
- Sprinkle the pasta with crumbled cheese and, if you like, some steak seasoning. Serve with additional lemon wedges.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1serving Calories: 345.7kcal Carbohydrates: 50.93g Protein: 13g Fat: 12.03g Sodium: 204.83mg Fiber: 10.38g
