This simple pasta dinner is definitely a bright spot on a dark and chilly evening. I love how light and fresh it tastes, while still providing that need for comfort food in the dead of winter. The broccoli and lemons are roasted together in the oven with a couple of leeks, which is a flavor combination that I absolutely adore in raw salads but when everything is roasted together it takes things to a whole new level. If you've never roasted lemons before, get ready for the intoxicating aromas coming out of your kitchen. It's a fragrance I can totally get used to!
Roasting lemons is definitely a new thing for me and now that this door has opened a world of possibilities are at my fingertips. I was inspired to make this pasta after reading a recipe in the New York Times for pasta with fried lemons and chili flakes. I loved the idea of frying the lemons but when it came down to making this I thought it would be easier to roast the lemons with the other vegetables for one less step. I'm all about cutting corners in the kitchen! Roasting lemons lightly caramelizes them, making their trademark tartness a little more mellow--and yes, you can eat the whole thing, rind and all. They'd make a great addition to any vegetable side dish and even as a topping for pizza.
I was originally going to top this pasta with a little shredded parmesan cheese. However, when it came time to sprinkle some onto the finished dish I realized we were fresh out. The horror! Instead of freaking out I took a deep breath and turned to my favorite vegan alternative: almond "parmesan" cheese. I've enjoyed almond "parm" on a lot of dishes I order at vegan restaurants and it tastes surprisingly similar to the real deal. The texture is definitely different--it's a little grainier since it's made from nuts--but I like the added cheesy crunch that this version provides. I've been making big batches of "cheese" on a regular basis so I can keep a mason jar on hand that I can easily sprinkle on salads, eggs or in this case, pasta. It's simple to prepare and only requires 4 ingredients. Almonds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt. A few whizzes in your food processor and voila, almond parm! I used this recipe from Minimalist Baker as a guide and adjusted to my personal preference, but if you happen to have grated parm in the fridge, feel free to use that instead.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium head broccoli cut into uniform florets (about 4 cups)
- 2 medium leeks trimmed and sliced into ¼ inch rounds (white and light green parts only)
- 2 lemons cut into thin rounds and seeds removed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 ounces whole wheat penne pasta or pasta of choice, cooked al dente
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Almond Parmesan:
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Toss the broccoli, leeks and lemons together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and place on a prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven until lightly browned and tender, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time. If the leeks are browning too quickly, remove them earlier.
- While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the almond parmesan. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until the "cheese" is similar in texture to grated parmesan. Taste and add more nutritional yeast, salt or garlic powder if needed.
- In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the pasta and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide onto plates and serve with the almond parmesan.
Mandy says
This looks delicious! Must try it out--I've been craving pasta lately. 🙂
Mandy
Anna says
This looks absolutely amazing <3<3
Lauren says
How am I not following you on pinterest? Am now! Love love your blog.
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
Mmmmh! Broccoli and lemon, looks really yummy!
Sandra says
What a gorgeous photo and recipe!
Melanie says
We roasted some whole garlic cloves and tossed them in too. Delicious!! We'll definitely be making this again!
Kat says
Tried this and loved it! I love lemons, why have I not been roasting them?!
I added some Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts to the mix with a bit of ghee.... MMM!!
kim says
So i made this tonight and i am not sure what i did wrong but it turned out terrible! After only about half the roasting time everything was slightly burned and bitter tasting! Don't think i will try this again.
Bonnie says
Sorry but like the person before me, this was awful. I wondered about the bitterness and went against my own judgment but thought I would try it anyway. I had it in there for at least 30 minutes. It was bitter just like if I ate a lemon peel. Thankfully, I was able to take all the lemons out and salvage it. I followed the recipe to a T. Never again!
liz says
We made this on Monday and it was wonderful. Love the roasted lemons. Great flavor combination. Was hesitant about the almond "parm" but was pleasantly surprised. Will make again!
Charlotte says
LOVED this! Didn't have broccoli on hand and had to use up some brussels sprouts so I subbed those in for the broc. Worked like a charm and roasted lemons have changed my life! Who even knew you could eat the peel?!!!!
Unical says
I love pasta and this recipe looks simply and delicious. Definetely will try this.
sylvie says
Love this flavors combo, it's out of the ordinary and sounds as a gourmet dish!