creamy lemon chili broccoli pasta

hi friends, how are we doing this week? if you, like me, happen to work in consumer-facing retail, happy end of your fiscal year! q4 THANKGOD you are done and hi hello 2022. my shoulders have been tensed near my ears for the last 2 weeks and i need a 4-day nap but we made it. on a higher note, i ordered girl scout cookies because i inconveniently live on the 19th floor of an apartment where those girlies can’t come a’knocking on my door (tagalongs are my favorite, how about yours?)

anyway, aside from that, i’ve been making loose meal plans where i write down what’s for dinner each night of the week and tuck in the rest with staples from the fridge; it’s been working well and gives my togetherness a semblance of togetherness. it’s also when i thought about making this creamy lemon chili broccoli pasta.

i’m not usually one to be a sucker for ‘5 ingredient meals!’ ‘dinner in under 30 minutes!’ ‘basically zero effort and it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten!’ etc etc, but, this is definitely some of those things and very, very yummy. i wanted something creamy, something a little spicy, something lemon zesty, had to have a vegetable, and needed it on pasta (because isn’t pasta always the best answer? yes and yes.)

this is farfalle pasta, broccoli, some creamy cheese, lemon, chili flake, and a little butter. and… that’s it. this feels much fancier when you’re eating it than it looks on paper and i kind of like that it’s unsuspecting?

a few things before we get started:

- this pasta packs sooo much flavor and really truly only calls for a few ingredients.
- it’s inherently vegetarian, but you could definitely add chicken or shrimp. I'm personally taking a hot second to eat less meat, but you do you.
- mascarpone is essentially italian cream cheese, but a little bit less tangy, milder and it melts a little more beautifully.
- this recipe is written for two servings (date night in, maybe?) but is easily doubled!

creamy lemon chili broccoli pasta
makes: 2 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes

2c farfalle pasta (or any small-medium shape you like!)
2c broccoli florets, chopped small
1tbsp butter
1c mascarpone cheese
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1tsp garlic powder
1/2tsp chili flake (or more, or less! however spicy you want this is however spicy you can have this)
1/2tsp salt

bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta to al dente (8-10 minutes.) before draining, reserve 1/2 of the pasta water.

while the pasta is boiling, steam the broccoli. remove from the steaming basket and set aside.

in a skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. add the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, and spices. simmer for about a minute, then add the cooked pasta, steamed broccoli, some of the reserved pasta water, and lemon zest. the pasta water will help the mascarpone coat to the pasta and create a sauce - add more as needed!