In this quick pasta dish, some of the broccoli becomes a chunky sauce while the rest stays firm to the bite. Lemon adds freshness, while toasted almonds provide a crunchy contrast.
This is a modern, Italian-inspired pasta dish in which broccoli does more than sit alongside the pasta. Some of the vegetable softens enough to mash, while the rest remains recognisable as little florets and pieces of stem. That gives the sauce body, while every bite still has some texture. Lemon zest adds a fresh aroma without overpowering the broccoli, and toasted almonds bring a dry, crunchy texture.
Rigatoni works well here because its wide tubes hold the sauce. Cook the broccoli stem, cut into small cubes, a little longer than the florets: the stem is firmer, so this gives it time to cook through. Keep the broccoli tender rather than mushy. You’ll mash some of it with garlic and olive oil later; there’s no need for a blender. A fork or potato masher gives the sauce just the right amount of texture.
The pasta cooking water is more important than it might seem. It contains starch released from the rigatoni as it cooks. Stir a splash into the mashed broccoli and oil, and the mixture becomes creamy and clings better to the pasta. Add the water gradually: you want a sauce that clings to the rigatoni, not a watery layer at the bottom of the pan. So set aside a little extra cooking water before draining the pan.
Broccoli is generally available all year round; when you can find a local harvest, the vegetable is often especially appealing in season. No rigatoni on hand? Penne or fusilli also hold the chunky sauce well. If you like, replace the almonds with toasted hazelnuts, which have a pronounced flavour. Serve the pasta straight away, with extra Parmesan and black pepper if you like. Quickly cover and refrigerate any leftovers, and eat them within three days; reheat them thoroughly in a pan with a splash of water so the sauce loosens up again.
Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast the almonds for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until golden. Leave to cool and roughly chop.
Cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel the stem if the outside is tough, then cut it into cubes of about 1 cm.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add 10 g salt and cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions. Add the broccoli stem cubes 6 minutes before the end of the cooking time and the florets 4 minutes before the end.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in the frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute without letting it brown. Remove the pan from the heat.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer about a third of the broccoli to the frying pan. Drain the pasta and remaining broccoli, but reserve at least 250 ml of the cooking water.
Mash the broccoli in the frying pan with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the lemon zest and 150 ml of the cooking water. Add the rigatoni and remaining broccoli and toss well. Stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice. If needed, add more cooking water until the creamy sauce clings to the pasta.
Season with salt and black pepper. Divide between plates and scatter the toasted almonds over the top.
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