When life gives you lemons my philosophy is to use them in as many ways as is humanely possible. Once again I found myself with more lemons than I could possibly wish for. And not just any lemons. Lemons picked and brought to me straight from Ravello, on the Amalfi coast.
Domenico is working on an apartment down the street and the construction crew is from lemon land. Every Monday they drive their truck up to Rome and Domenico makes sure it is loaded with at least one crate of lemons for me. I of course use them to make desserts like this lemon tart, this lemon gelato and made a huge batch of Melissa’s lemon squares. But I also use them in salads and in other savory ways.
This pasta is basically a lemony spin on a pasta technique I use all the time. It’s one I learned from Domenico’s mother, while she was preparing orecchiette con le cima di rape. In this dish the vegetables and pasta get cooked together, in one pot. They are then drained, and tossed in a pan with olive oil, garlic and anchovies.
I’ve used this technique a lot over the years, mixing in different vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, ) and just about every kind of pasta. Last week I stuck to the Pugliese origins of the dish, using a pack of cavatappi al grano arso. Kind of like long, skinny orecchiette, the cavatappi are traditionally made with semola di grano duro (which make them firm and chewy to the bite) . This particular pack was made with the addition of grano arso, a type of burnt wheat that gave a nutty taste and (I admit) a kind of ugly brown color. I know I could have used a regular pasta, and the photos would have been more blog worthy. And I’m sure the dish would have been just as good. But I had these and they were, indeed, perfect. So please forgive the not-so-exciting photos.
The lemons played two rolls. I tossed a half cup of freshly squeezed juice with the cooked pasta and broccoli in a hot pan with browned shallots. And then, rather than add grated cheese, which I’m sure would have been delicious, I chopped up a mixture of toasted hazelnuts and tons of lemon zest.
I use nuts a lot in cooking, especially when I’m making an otherwise vegetarian meal. Added to salads or sides they make things not only more filling, but give a crunchy texture that I love. For this dish I put both hazelnuts and lemon peel together in a mini chopper and whizzed it until is was the texture of rough sand. The smell was amazing and I used it just like I would have used grated cheese. So yes, this dish is also vegan.
I’ve still got at least a dozen huge lemons left to get through. And another load on it’s way. So saying I’m open to suggestions is putting it lightly.
broccoli, lemon + hazelnut {pasta}
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 5
Since you're using the zest in this recipes, try to get the freshest and also untreated organic lemons
Ingredients
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
- 6 shallots, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (just use all olive oil if you want this to be vegan)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
- zest from 2 lemons
- juice from one lemon
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 1 pound / 500 grams cavatappi or orecchiette
Instructions
- In a pan large enough to hold all the pasta later, heat olive oil and butter over medium to low heat. Add shallots and let cook till golden and just beginning to brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Don’t skimp on the time, since this adds lots of flavor to the dish.
- In the meantime, using a potato peeler, cut off the zest from two lemons. Place zest and toasted hazelnuts in food processor and pulse until like rough sand. It’s ok if there are bigger pieces here and there.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Check to see if your pasta pack has cooking time instructions. In Italy they usually do, and they are usually correct. The trick here is to put your pasta in to cook, and then add the broccoli florets 4 minutes before the pasta should be done. Orecchiette and cavatappi usually take pretty long to cook, about 12 minutes. So let the pasta cook for 8 minutes, then add the broccoli.
- Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the shallots, heating over medium heat. Stir and add some of the cooking water, and about half of the nut/zest mix. Keep stirring, over low heat and add the lemon juice and the rest of the nut mixture. If you think it looks dry, you can add more of the pasta water. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- I don’t serve this pasta with grated cheese, but if someone really wants it, let the have it. Whatever makes people happy, right?
- I also have some hot pepper on the table, in case anyone wants their’s a bit more spicy. For this dish I used Erotica, a pepper from Peperita which is on the mild side.
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Seems like it might be delicious.
Although, there are a couple of things that stand out as issues.
Your headline, the column, and the ingredients list states all reference hazelnuts. However, your preparation and cooking instructions state “toasted walnuts.” This is in step two. Additionally, there is no instruction for toasting the walnuts, or hazelnuts. And, can walnuts be substituted?
Another thing, one of the current trends is to use lemon peel in practically everything. It is essential, that all lemons be washed, even organic lemons, even if you’re growing them in your own yard.
In fact, digestion of the rind/peel, unless pickled, is difficult for the body. What should be done is to use three lemons. Two are for the juice, which is strained. One lemon is then pared completely. Remove the peel with a knife as you would with an orange. Then slice the lemon in thin slices and remove the pits. Then give those slices a rough chop. This is what you use instead of lemon peels. I have never, ever used lemon peel if it’s going to be part of the dish that’s eaten. Cooking is also about health and lemon peels are best left uneaten.
Another thing, you call for browning the shallots for 20-minutes, which is too long a cooking time. 20-minutes will turn them black.
This pasta dish, while interesting, is actually a variation of a Basilicatan dish. That dish uses ribbed ziti or ribbed penne (rigati) or mezza rigstoni ( short rigatoni). Instead of brocolli, you use cauliflower, and the nuts are chopped almonds. You use only olive oil, never butter, and you use a good sized red onion. Of course, the lemon juice and chopped inside of the lemon is essential. You can sprinkle some red pepper flakes on the onions as they are sauteing, but only if you want a little hint of hot spice.
No cheese, ever with this lemon delight.
Thanks so much for catching the typo reference to walnuts. Something always gets through, especially when I”m editing at 6am. But I’m all for trying the recipe with walnuts, which I think would be good too.
As for toasting the hazelnuts, I buy mine already toasted at the farmer’s market, and I just figured everyone knows how to toast nuts. It’s such a basic thing, no?
I also think you should wash all citrus, organic or not, if you are going to use the zest.
Thanks for the Sicilian recipe, which sounds delicious.
But as for not eating zest, I’ve never ever come across this belief. And after doing a quick search I can’t find any reference that says you can’t eat citrus zest.
I’m not sure of your cooktop, but I cooked my shallots for a good 20 minutes and they were just right.
My recipe is Basilicatan, which is the region next to Campagna in the center of Italy. Not Sicilian, although I do love Sicily.
Thank you for the correction. Again.
If you want to use up a lot of lemons and a LOT of eggs, I just read a recipe for lemon lava cakes that have lemon curd in them and on them. It was either in a recent Vancouver Sun or in a recent National Post. In fact I think it was from an Italian food tour for writers which you may have been on, both food writers from those papers were on the tour. I decided not to make it because it uses about 12 eggs for the curd and lava cakes. Nevertheless, it sounded delicious. I made a lesser version and it was very lesser. It didn’t “lava” though it still tasted wonderful.
I’m dying to try grano arso. My local “dealer” brought it in several years ago and no one knew what it was so he ended up eating the whole shipment himself. He’s not about to try the experiment again. I may have to make grano arso myself. Have you ever made it from scratch?
I read that recipe too, somewhere, about the lemon lava cakes! Yes, they looked delicious. No, sadly, I wasn’t on that trip.
And no, I’ve never made grano arso because I don’t have too! I know a lot of chefs have been experimenting toasting flour, so you should be able to find out more about it with a google search. Let me know if you do it on your own.
Nice, geNtile reply
To the snarky first post. I love your blog
And lemon zest! 😉
Grazie!
Just reading about all the health benefits of eating lemon peel! Can’t wait to try this recipe….just as it is.
Well, exactly. Me too. I could only find health benefits.
Wow! I was so happy to see another pasta recipe for broccoli, lemon and hazelnuts. I’m not the most experienced cook but I jump on anything with lemon, lemon zest and nuts in it. I’ll put lemon juice and/or lemon zest in pretty much everything I love from salad dressings to desserts – the more the better! Zest, zest and more zest – maybe even orange zest! And I’m nuts for nuts. In fact if I don’t happen to have hazelnuts on hand (which are grown everywhere in Oregon state) then I usually have walnuts – yum, or pecans – double yum. I don’t bother to rush out to the market to pick up hazelnuts when others will do wonderfully! And that roasting. Isn’t it the greatest and easiest of things to figure out? Roasted nuts, hmmmmm, I guess you roast them! Wonderful isn’t it?
I’m nuts for nuts too. And always switch them around, depending on what’s at hand. And yes, roasting is….pretty straight forward.
I’m having Jason make this with mushrooms instead of broccoli. We have some hand-picked Meyer lemons for it. Looks so good!
Sounds good, but don’t go boiling those mushrooms!
I think this looks so delicious, even as I sit here eating my breakfast oatmeal I’m thinking about dinner. I’d love to taste the burnt wheat pasta. I’m planning my next shopping trip to Eataly in a few days – I will have to look for it! Thanks for another lovely taste of Rome and the refreshing sight of lemons (dead of winter where I am)…Ciao
Looks and sounds delicious. I too, am a sucker for anything lemon, juice and peel. I love that Domenico buys you things like lemons and cheese and various veggies.
Grano arso another thing to put on my “bring back from Italy” shopping list
Have you ever tried using those amazing lemons to make your own limoncello?
Yes, but the problem is that I’m not a limoncello fan. And so there is only so much I can give away.
I came upon your website preparing for our trip to Rome.
When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it.
I just made it for dinner tonight (with spaghetti) and it was great – everybody really loved it! I’m sure my kids will ask for it to be made again (they love anything with broccoli in it…)
Thanks for the recipe!
Yay!! Happy to hear it was a hit with the entire family.