Ingredients
- 100 g walnut halves
- 1 head of broccoli (400–500g)
- 3 tbs light olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
- finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 200 g fresh ricotta cheese
- 400 g spaghetti
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Spaghetti with broccoli, walnuts and ricotta
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, (Gas 4.) Spread walnuts out on baking tray and roast in preheated oven for about 8 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally, until they start to brown.
To prepare broccoli, trim off the gnarly part, about 2 cm from the stem end, and discard. Thinly slice stem until you reach the point where it starts to branch into florets. Slice off individual florets.
Heat oil in frying pan, add broccoli stems and cook for about 2–3 minutes, turning often, then add the florets and cook for about 5 minutes until the broccoli has softened. Add garlic, parsley, lemon zest and walnuts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Reduce heat to medium and stir through ricotta and lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper and leave in pan to keep warm.
Cook spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Drain and return to warm pan with sauce. Stir gently to combine and serve immediately.
Submitted byRoss Dobson
Tips and Tricks
It is best to store broccoli in whole bunches in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. It will last 7-14 days. It may be frozen for 6-8 months, but it should be blanched first and placed in freezer safe containers.
Because of their high oil content, nuts may easily go rancid if not properly stored. Walnuts will last 6 months in the pantry in a tightly closed container, but are better stored in the fridge where they will last at least a year.
As soft cheeses deteriorate faster than hard cheeses, they are best stored in a cooler part of your fridge. It’s best to also keep soft cheeses wrapped in grease proof paper rather than plastic, in order that they can breathe.
