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Charred broccoli and chorizo pasta recipe

Charred broccoli and chorizo pasta recipe

45 ratings

Charring broccoli brings extra delicious flavour that pairs wonderfully with smoky chorizo, a little chilli heat and plenty of garlic. Combined with penne pasta and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, pine nuts and Parmesan, this simple pasta recipe is ready in just 25 minutes, making it the perfect midweek dinner idea. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 5 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
  • 508 calories / serving
  • Healthy

Ingredients

  • 130g pack diced chorizo
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 350g pack broccoli, cut into small florets, stalk trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp crushed chillies
  • 300g penne
  • 50g crusty bread or ciabatta, blitzed to breadcrumbs in a food processor
  • 1 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 15g Parmesan, finely grated
If you haven't got penne, try using fusilli or another short pasta

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2145kj
    508kcal     25%

  • Fat

    18g 26%

  • Saturates

    5g 26%

  • Sugars

    4g 5%

  • Salt

    1.5g 25%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 67.4g Protein 23.1g Fibre 4.3g

Method

  1. Heat a large, lidded nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo and dry-fry for 2-3 mins until it begins to release its fat, then cook for a further 1 min until turning crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper; set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
  2. Return the pan to the heat, add 1 tbsp oil and the broccoli; increase the heat to high. Stir-fry for 4-5 mins until lightly charred all over but still quite firm, then reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, crushed chillies and 4 tbsp water; cover and cook gently for 3-4 mins until tender. Stir in the chorizo and remove from the heat.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to pack instructions. Drain well, reserving about 6 tbsp of the cooking water.
  4. Heat the remaining ½ tbsp oil in a separate nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and pine nuts and cook, stirring, for 5 mins until beginning to turn golden. Stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan, and season with black pepper.=
  5. Add the cooked pasta to the broccoli, along with the lemon juice and reserved cooking water. Toss everything together for 2 mins over a low heat until a light sauce forms, then divide between 4 bowls and serve sprinkled with the pine nut and lemon crumbs.

Tip: Make this dish a little cheaper by swapping the pine nuts for sunflower seeds, or leave them out entirely.

See more Pasta recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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