Pasta with Broccolini & Chickpeas

This simple Pasta with Broccolini and Chickpeas is punchy and bright and comes together quickly and easily – on the table in under 30 minutes!  Made with optional preserved lemon, it’s a tasty, healthy weeknight dinner! Video. See more Favorite Broccoli Recipes!

this recipe!

We’ve been amping up our broccolini and broccoli intake lately, making a point of having it a couple of times a week.  Here’s a simple little pasta recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes that highlights this healthy veggie. Pasta with Broccolini, Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas is fast, easy, flavorful and a snap to throw together on busy weeknights. We’ve been loving it and think you will too!

WatCh how to make it

What is broccolini?

Many think broccolini is just a younger version of broccoli, but this is simply not the case. It is also not the same as broccoli rabe- another common misconception. Broccolini is actually a crossbreed between broccoli and Chinese broccoli -a leafy green-and the combination of the two gives broccolini its beautiful, deep emerald color, long, elegant stems, and petite, compact florets. Truly the stuff of enchanted broccoli forests!

There is much to love about broccolini: how it holds its lovely shape and color when cooked, how it cooks so darn quickly, and how packed full of vitamins and nutrients it is. And I’m hearing that kids even like it a little better, too, because it is a little less bitter than regular broccoli.

How to make Broccolini Pasta

Prep the broccolini. Make sure to split any broccolini that is bigger than a pencil-thick, for faster cooking. You’ll add these to the pasta water right at the end.

Chop the preserved lemon if using. Feel free to substitute lemon zest and lemon juice, but the preserved lemon will give it a delicious, tangy, punchy, briny flavor. I use the rind too!

Cook the Pasta. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt (measure both) to a boil. Add spaghetti and simmer until al dente.  Add broccolini to the pasta water and cook 2-3 minutes, or until just tender and vibrant green. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Saute. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic 3-4 minutes until fragrant and tender. Add chili flakes, sumac, preserved lemon (or lemon zest), chickpeas (if using), and salt and pepper. Sauté 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off.

TIP: If you are up for trying something new, these chili flakes-Aleppo and Urfa Biber - are both sensational. Not too spicy, with fruity notes, and lots of flavor. Great in pasta! We sell them at our Bowl and Pitcher store, or you can find them online. Or FEEL FREE to use regular chili flakes!

Combine. When the pasta and broccolini are done (save 1 cup of pasta water), add the pasta and broccolini to the garlic, shallot, and chickpea mixture in the skillet over medium heat.

Add 1/2- 1 cup of hot pasta water, and give a good toss.  Taste.  Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like (especially if not using the preserved lemons).

Season. Toss in the fresh parsley and pecorino, taste again, and adjust salt, pepper and chili flakes.  You want to taste both the salt and the lemon. 😉  For extra richness, mix in another little drizzle of olive oil – or a little butter (my husband LOVES it this way). Divide among bowls and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a leafy green salad (like a Caesar Salad), vegan Caesar, or a Kale salad. 

Storage

Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

On the home front: A couple of weeks ago, we migrated to Sedona. Truth be told, I had some reservations about spending more than a few days in the desert, because in the past, it had felt too sparse for me, almost lonely. I guess I’m more of an ocean/forest person, but my husband really wanted to come here and explore the area.  So here we are for a couple of months, and surprisingly, I’ve been wonderstruck from the very first day.

I’m not sure what it is about this place, but it feels otherworldly. Juniper forests seem to whisper quietly in the breeze, speaking a language my mind doesn’t understand, but my heart seems to remember.  The immense red rocks glow like they are on fire from the inside- radiating their healing light outwards. Everything in me wants to walk towards them.  It is as if I’ve been bewitched.

Oh. And we have a gentleman ghost in our house.  Another story, another time. 😉

Enjoy the Pasta with Broccolini and let us know what you think in the comments below. If you like this pasta, be sure to try our Baked Feta Pasta, too!

xoxo

Sylvia

More broccolini recipes

• • Best Healthy Broccoli Recipes
  • 40 Best Pasta Recipes
  • Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
  • Grilled Broccolini
  • Zaatar Chicken (or tofu) with Green Tahini Sauce &  Broccolini
  • Tofu Stir-Fry with Broccolini and Mushrooms
  • Garlic Chili Tofu with Sesame Broccolini

Pasta with Broccolini, Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 25 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 3 1x
• Category: pasta, main, vegetarian
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Pasta with Broccolini, Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas – a punchy, bright pasta recipe that comes together quickly and easily – on the table in under 30 minutes!  A tasty healthy weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 8 cups water
• Salt
• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 10-12 ounces broccolini, cut in half lengthwise ( or use regular broccoli see notes)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 fat shallot, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo, Urfa Biber or regular chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sumac (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons preserved lemon, chopped (or sub lemon zest from one lemon)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1 cup reserved hot pasta water
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (if not using preserved lemon)
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup pecorino or parmesan
• optional: additional 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Pasta. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt (measure both) to a boil. Add spaghetti and simmer until al dente.  Add broccolini to the pasta water and cook 2-3 minutes, or until just tender and vibrant green. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
2. Saute. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic 3-4 minutes until fragrant and tender. Add chili flakes, sumac, preserved lemon (or lemon zest), chickpeas (if using), and salt and pepper. Sauté 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off.
3. Combine. When the pasta and broccolini are done (save 1 cup of pasta water), add the pasta and broccolini to the garlic, shallot, and chickpea mixture in the skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2- 1 cup of hot pasta water, and give a good toss.  Taste.  Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like (especially if not using the preserved lemons).
4. Season. Toss in the fresh parsley and pecorino, taste again, and adjust salt, pepper and chili flakes.  You want to taste both the salt and the lemon. 😉  For extra richness, mix in another little drizzle of olive oil – or a little butter (my husband LOVES it this way). Divide among bowls and enjoy.

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Notes

Leftovers reheat well and will keep 3-4 days in the fridge.

If using regular broccoli, allow a couple of extra minutes of cooking time ( florets and stems tend to be bigger).

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 570
• Sugar: 5.7 g
• Sodium: 805.9 mg
• Fat: 19.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 80.8 g
• Fiber: 9.7 g
• Protein: 20.8 g
• Cholesterol: 9.8 mg