I was worried that I was going to have to cook this week’s recipe in the dark, but our power finally came back on, and I was able to cook in in the 21st century.  This recipe is also from the August Real Simple magazine.  Have you bought a copy yet?  Why not?

Here’s the yummy picture:

Was the recipe easy to follow?

Definitely.  Simple recipe, easy ingredients, and dinner in 20 minutes.  Awesome.

Did the dish taste good?

You bet!  I love the combination of the red pepper flakes and the lemon.  A little spicy and a bit zesty.

Would you make it again?

Absolutely.  It’s a nice easy break from the pasta sauce-in-a-jar routine.  It’s going into the dinner rotation!

I did change a few things in the recipe, but here’s the original with the changes noted:

12 ounces (3/4 box) spaghetti (I used linguine because I like a more substantial noodle.)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I chopped the garlic and only used 2 cloves which was plenty.)
1 1-pound package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a bit more of these.)
kosher salt
1 lemon, zest finely grated & juice squeezed
1 cup grated Parmesan (I know I used more than 1 cup, I love cheese!)

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli, red pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the broccoli mixture, lemon juice, Parmesan, and the reserved pasta water to the pasta.  Cook over medium heat, stirring, until combined and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.

Enjoy!