The Ultimate One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta with Arugula
A bright and creamy vegetarian pasta dish featuring fusilli, fresh arugula, and broccoli. The recipe centers around a rich lemon cream sauce made by simmering heavy cream with garlic, fresh lemon zest, and juice until thickened. Hot, cooked pasta is tossed in this sauce to absorb the flavors, then combined with blanched broccoli florets, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh arugula, and grated Parmesan cheese for a complete and satisfying meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 lemons
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
- 1/2 pound baby arugula
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Make the Lemon Cream Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
- Cook the Broccoli and Pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into florets. Cook the florets in the boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain the broccoli and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside.
- In the same pot of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the fusilli pasta. Cook for about 12 minutes, or according to the package directions for al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the warm pot.
- Assemble the Dish: Pour the prepared lemon cream sauce over the hot pasta in the pot. Cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the pasta.
- Transfer the hot, saucy pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the baby arugula, Parmesan cheese, halved tomatoes, and the cooked broccoli.
- Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, then slice it 1/4-inch thick and add the slices to the pasta.
- Toss everything well to combine, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve hot.
Notes
- Blanching the broccoli and then shocking it in cold water helps to keep it vibrant green and perfectly tender-crisp.
- Finishing the pasta by cooking it in the sauce for a few minutes allows the noodles to absorb a great deal of flavor.
- The heat from the freshly cooked pasta and sauce is what gently wilts the fresh arugula.
Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/lemon-pasta/