A few days ago we had some gorgeous, spring like weather here in NYC that really inspired me to make this dish, one that I usually prepare in the summertime.   I was feeling nostalgic.

I love pasta and cannot imagine a life without it…which means I’m definitely not a contender for the carb-free diet.  I do, however, try not to eat a ton of it.  Everything in moderation, that’s my motto.  Not only is pasta delicious, it’s also very versatile, quick and usually rather easy to make.

This recipe, adapted from Ina Garten,  is so simple and quick to prepare.  Literally, in the time it takes you to cook the pasta, the dish is complete.  I also like this recipe because, although it tastes spectacular freshly made, it makes great leftovers, served warm or at room temperature, making this a great option for a picnic or for taking to the beach (which I’ve done several times) for a light lunch.   Ina’s recipe calls for plain bow tie pasta, I use the tri color instead because I think it looks more fun and interesting.  And life should be more fun and interesting.

Here’s what you will need to serve about 2-3 people…

Recipe 

1 large head broccoli florets (or 2 medium), cut up into florets

1/2 – 3/4 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta, tri color

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 lemon, zested

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

freshly grated parmesan cheese (a few teaspoons)

salt & pepper to taste

Method

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the box, shorting the cooking time by 3 minutes.  So, roughly 9 minutes into the cooking time, add the broccoli directly to the pot with the pasta.  After 3 minutes remove all the pasta and broccoli with a large slotted spoon and add to the butter and garlic mixture in the skillet.  Reserve all the pasta water.

As the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry saute pan for a few minutes, tossing occasionally.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat the butter and oil over a medium low heat, add the garlic and lemon zest and saute for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, salt & pepper.

After you have added all the pasta and broccoli to the skillet turn the heat back on and mix together for 1 minute.  Turn heat off and add the pignoli nuts and the grated parmesan.  Toss to combine.  If needed, add some of the pasta water to help loosen the sauce a bit more.  I usually add approximately 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water.