Creamy Lemon, Garlic and Broccoli Pasta (Vegan)

This is a creamy, lemony pasta with a whole lot of broccoli. The orecchiette and broccoli cook together in the same pot until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is soft enough to fall apart. Then everything goes back into the pot with garlic, chili flakes, soy cream and a splash of pasta water, and you press some of the broccoli against the side so it breaks down into the sauce. Lemon juice and zest go in right at the end to keep it bright.

Orecchiette is the ideal shape for this dish, as it holds its shape well, and the little cups catch the heavier cream sauce perfectly.

It serves four, and the toasted breadcrumbs on top are optional but a nice touch if you have a bit of bread to use up. Ideal as a quick and easy weeknight dinner for the whole family to enjoy and get in those veg. You can also add some frozen peas towards the end of the pasta and broccoli cooking to add some protein to the meal without any additional effort.

Ingredients

Most broccoli pastas treat the broccoli as a vegetable you toss through at the end. Here it’s cooked for longer, about 13 minutes, so the florets turn soft enough to collapse when you press them with a spoon. Once they break down, they thicken the soy cream and give the sauce a speckled green color and a lot more flavor than cream alone.

The stems do something different. Peeled and sliced thinly, they hold their shape through the same cooking time, so you still get tender little coins of broccoli through the pasta. Nothing gets thrown out.

The starchy pasta water is the other half of it. It loosens the soy cream and helps it cling to the pasta, so the sauce turns glossy rather than thick and claggy.

Step by Step

Which Pasta to Use

Short, sturdy pasta works best here.

• Orecchiette: My first choice. The cup shape holds the broccoli and sauce. As it’s a thicker pasta, it works well with a heavier sauce.
• Fusilli or conchiglie: Both work well. The spirals and shells catch the sauce in the same way. Make sure to cook them until al dente.
• Avoid long, thin pasta: I tried tagliatelle, and it didn’t work. It was too delicate for the sauce, which ended up gluggy and thick. If you do use a long pasta, go for a thicker fettuccine.

TIP: Check the cooking time on your packet
The broccoli needs about 13 minutes to get soft enough to melt into the sauce, so a pasta that also cooks in 12 to 13 minutes is ideal. If yours cooks faster, add the broccoli to the pot a few minutes before the pasta.

Variations

• Crisper broccoli. Add the broccoli for just the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking. You’ll get a fresher, greener pasta, though the sauce won’t be as thick and creamy.
• More heat. Go up to 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, or add an extra pinch on top when you serve.
• Skip the breadcrumbs. The pasta is complete without them. If you do want them, dried breadcrumbs or panko work instead of fresh.
• Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free breadcrumbs. But I find that gluten-free pasta can be very delicate, and can turn too soft for a sauce like this one.
• Add more greens and protein. A couple of handfuls of baby spinach stirred through at the end until wilted, or a cup of frozen peas added to the pot for the last few minutes of cooking the broccoli and pasta.

Storage

This is best eaten straight away, while the sauce is glossy. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens as it cools, so reheat it gently in a pot with a splash of water, stirring until it loosens again.

Serving Ideas

This is a full meal on its own, but because the sauce is creamy, something crunchy and sharp on the side works really well.

A simple cabbage salad is my pick. It’s crunchy, tangy with apple cider vinegar, and cuts through the creaminess of the sauce. The smashed cucumber and chickpea salad does a similar job and adds some protein. If you want something more substantial alongside, a few slices of herb-crusted tofu turn it into a bigger dinner.

If you’re after more easy weeknight pastas, try my 3-ingredient cabbage pasta or this quick and easy sauerkraut pasta. Both are cheap, simple, and ready in under an hour.

FAQ

Can I use oat cream instead of soy cream? I tested both, and I don’t recommend oat cream (some brands) for this. It made a thinner, runnier sauce that was cloudy rather than glossy and less flavorful. Soy cream gives the best result.

Why is my sauce too thick? Soy creams vary between brands, and the sauce keeps thickening as it sits. Stir in a little more of the reserved pasta water until it loosens up.

Why did my sauce split? Most likely the lemon went in while the sauce was still bubbling. Always take the pot off the heat before adding the lemon juice.

Can I use long pasta like spaghetti or tagliatelle? I wouldn’t, as I mentioned above. Tagliatelle was too delicate, and the sauce went gluggy. Stick to a short, sturdy shape like orecchiette, fusilli or conchiglie.

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