The other night, as a side for dinner, I made A Beautiful Plate’s crack broccoli and the name says it all… OMG SO GOOD.
It’s savory, salty, crispy, tangy, crunchy, caramelize-y, and crazy addictive. Tom Brady doesn’t even like broccoli and he LOVED this broccoli. I used to think I didn’t like broccoli too because I had only had it steamed… I mean steamed broccoli is okay… but it’s NOTHING compared to crispy caramelized roasted broccoli. In my opinion, roasting vegetables including broccoli is the BEST way to prepare them.
Any who, so yeah I made this crack broccoli as a side for dinner but we ended up just devouring it as a pre-dinner snack lol. I decided then and there that I needed to incorporate this amazing broccoli into some sort of entree. Because the crack broccoli is roasted to perfection then topped with toasted sliced almonds, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese… my mind went straight for pasta. I mean it has lemon juice and parmesan… that just screams “PUT ME IN PASTA” – so that’s what I did.
Hello crack broccoli pasta with simple brown butter parmesan sauce!!!! This recipe is so easy and full of awesome flavor. We already how amazing this broccoli is so I kept the pasta and sauce very simple to let the broccoli SHINE.
Just a note before the recipe: I like my broccoli pretty crispy but if you don’t want yours as charred and crispy, back off the oven temperature about 25 degrees but keep the same cook time. Per usual, you do you!
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs broccoli crowns (4 crown packages or 2 heads of broccoli), sliced into small florets
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes + extra for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- zest of half a lemon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Prep/cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package instructions then drain.
- Prep and roast the broccoli: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Add broccoli florets to the bowl then toss to coat. Arrange on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet so nothing overlaps then roast for 10-12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, flip the broccoli then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Roast for another 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is crispy and slightly caramelized and the almonds are toasted. Transfer roasted broccoli and toasted almonds to a large bowl, toss with lemon juice and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Make brown butter Parmesan sauce: Heat butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until browned with a nutty aroma (color should be golden-tan to toasty-brown and with specs at the bottom of the pan), swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Click here to read how to brown butter.
- Assemble and serve: Add roasted broccoli mixture and brown butter Parmesan sauce to cooked pasta then toss to coat. Divide evenly between bowls. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, lemon zest, and extra red pepper flakes. EAT.
Notes
Crack broccoli recipe from A Beautiful Plate.
You should totally make this crack broccoli pasta for dinner this week… or next. Just DO IT. You won’t regret it.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or tag a photo #appetitesanonymous on instagram!! I’d love to see your crack broccoli pasta in action. Peace, friends!
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