Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Walnuts, Mint, Lemon, and Parmesan #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

 

Don’t you think fresh, green herbs and vegetables are appealing in the spring? And pasta is appealing all year long. This recipe hits all the right notes with crisp-tender-charred broccoli, fresh mint, and tender pasta. Add the warmth of toasted nuts, the zip and zing of red pepper flakes and lemon, and always wonderful grated cheese, and you have a perfect meal that doesn’t take terribly long to make. The New York Times says 15 minutes. Well, no. It takes longer than that, but not so much longer that it’s annoying. Next time I make it, though, I think I’ll try roasting the broccoli.   

Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Walnuts, Mint, Lemon, and Parmesan

(adapted from Dawn Perry in The New York Times)

 

Ingredients

12 ounces fusilli or other short pasta

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup walnuts (measured), about 1/2 cup chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 pounds broccoli (untrimmed), floret roughly chopped, stalks peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 lemon, zested then quartered

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chopped walnuts and red pepper flakes (optional), stirring, until walnuts are browning and fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer walnuts and pepper flakes to a small bowl. Season walnuts with a little salt and pepper.

Add broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil. Shake skillet so broccoli settles in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Toss and shake to arrange in an even layer again and cook, undisturbed, another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta and add to skillet with lemon zest, cheese, toasted walnuts, and mint leaves. Toss to combine. Serve with more cheese and lemon wedges to squeeze juice on top (optional but good!).

 

Look for Molly’s new series—the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries—coming in June 2025!

Book 1: Come Shell or High Water

 

When widowed folklorist Maureen Nash visits a legendary North Carolina barrier island shell shop, she discovers its resident ghost pirate and the mystery of a local’s untimely death . . .

Buy links:

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And in the meantime, you can enjoy Molly's other books.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.

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