Mafaldine Limone Broccoli Pasta (Printable version)

Vibrant mafaldine with broccoli, lemon zest, and Parmesan in a light, tangy sauce. Italian comfort on a plate.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz mafaldine pasta
02 - Kosher salt, for pasta water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
04 - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
05 - Zest of 2 lemons
06 - Juice of 1 lemon
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped (optional)

→ Sauce & Seasoning

08 - ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1½ oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
10 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
12 - ⅓ oz fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

# How To:

01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the mafaldine and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of starchy cooking water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, plunge the broccoli florets into boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until vivid green and just barely tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add the blanched broccoli, lemon zest, and chili flakes, tossing to coat evenly. Cook for another 2 minutes.
04 - Add the drained mafaldine and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss vigorously to combine. Stir in the lemon juice, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns creamy and clings to the noodles.
05 - Remove the skillet from heat. Scatter the fresh basil or parsley over the top and toss gently. Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.
06 - Divide among warmed plates immediately. Finish with an extra shower of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve right away.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon hits every single fold of those ruffled mafaldine noodles, making each bite brighter than the last.
  • It transforms basic weeknight broccoli into something that feels like it came from a little trattoria with checkered tablecloths.
  • Everything cooks in roughly the same amount of time, so you are not juggling five pans like a circus act.
02 -
  • If you let the garlic go past pale gold into brown, the whole dish will taste bitter, so pull the pan off heat the second you see color.
  • The starchy pasta water is the secret weapon here, it is what transforms oil and cheese into a sauce rather than a puddle.
  • Mafaldine cooks slightly unevenly because of its ruffled edges, so test a wide section, not just a thin edge.
03 -
  • Grate the Parmigiano as finely as you can manage so it melts seamlessly into the sauce rather than clumping.
  • Use a vegetable peeler to strip wide pieces of zest from the lemon before juicing, then slice those strips thin for a more vivid flavor than a microplane alone.

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