Over the Summer I was reading Emiko Davis’ beautiful book ‘Aquacotta – Recipes of Tuscany’s Secret Silver Coast’.
Her ‘Spaghetti al Limone’ really captured my imagination.
Not because I’m that into pasta any more.
But the idea of a fresh zesty, creamy cheesey sauce?
Now that sounded amazing.
So of course I had to try it with broccoli.
And of course I had to say ‘broccoli al limone’ in my best Italian accent.
Which, truth be told, is terrible.
But still fun.
Enough for: 2
Takes: 15 minutes
Net Carbs: 22g / serve
2 heads broccoli (approx 300g / 10.5oz each)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
zest 1 lemon
4 tablespoons double or heavy cream
2 handfuls grated parmesan (approx 50g / 2oz) + extra shaved parm to serve
small bunch basil leaves
1. Bring 1cm (1/2in) deep salted water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Chop broccoli into bite sized trees and slice the stems.
2. Pop chopped broccoli into the pot and cover with a lid. Simmer rapidly for 5 minutes. Drain.
3. Return the saucepan to the heat with the lemon juice and zest and simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce the quantity by about half.
4. Add drained broccoli to the pan with the cream and grated parmesan. Stir and bring back to a simmer.
5. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt as needed. Or a little extra cream if it’s too sour for you.
6. Divide between two bowls and top with shaved parmsean and basil leaves.
Substitutions
pantry-friendly – frozen broccoli. Basil = pesto
Keto / ultra low carb – replace 1/2 broccoli with baby spinach leaves and serve the lemony spinach with pan fried chicken breasts.
dairy-free – replace cream with coconut cream. And replace cheese with roast pine nuts or roast shaved coconut.
different cheese – parmesan is always a good idea but you could mix things up with ricotta, salty feta, cheddar or soft goats cheese.
more substantial (carb lovers) – cooked pasta!
more substantial (low carb) – this is a pretty light meal so consider extra parmesan, extra cream, avocado, roast macadamias or almonds, or a big dollop of Pesto.
low FODMAP – see the keto option.
different vegetables – so many ideas! Roast mushrooms, roast eggplant or zucchini, cauliflower, shaved cabbage, roast sweet potato, cooked greens, cooked chickpeas, cooked lentils, steamed asparagus, steamed snow peas. And wilted greens. Also thinking the sauce would be lovely massaged into raw kale.
more protein – serve with cooked chicken, canned tuna, sardines, mackerel, smoked herrings, fried egg, poached eggs, an omelette, pork sausages.
more fancy / for entertaining – serve it as a side for a simple roast chook or try one of either the ‘more substantial’ or ‘more protein’ options.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
broccoli – will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Can be frozen (if you have time chop before freezing so it will defrost quickly in the pan).
lemon – whole lemon will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for months.
cream – unopened cartons will generally keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. If you need to store for longer, just pop in the freezer in a sealed container.
parmesan – wrap in baking paper and store in the fridge in a sealed paper bag or airtight container. Will keep for months. Can be frozen if you’re going away.
basil – make basil oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil. Or you can freeze the leaves, they’ll wilt but will still be delicious.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the basil and cheese separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm in a pan with a little oil. Add cheese and serve with basil and extra cheese as per the recipe.
