Orecchiette With Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

Name: Orecchiette With Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces orecchiette or some other short pasta (3 cups); 1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), cut into small florets; 0.5 cup walnuts, roughly chopped; 0.25 cup olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; kosher salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 0.25 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

3.3

(211)

3 Reviews

In Italian "orecchiette" means "little ears", but you didn't hear that from us...

By Sara Quessenberry

Updated on August 29, 2014

Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts — Photo: Kan Kanbayashi

Hands On Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

25 mins

Yield:

4 serves

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Orecchi... what? Orecchiette is a short-cut pasta from the southeastern region of Italy (the heel of the boot). Its translation from Italian, "little ears", describes its distinctive shape, which is challenging to make by hand. While our recipe recommends orecchiette, any other short pasta—such as penne, farfalle, or fusilli—will do.

For this quick-and-easy recipe, we toss cooked pasta (from dried or fresh) with oven-roasted broccoli and walnuts, add a buttery sauce, and then top with Parmesan. For a heartier meal, add a protein, toss a simple green salad, and serve with a loaf of homemade bread.

RELATED: Pasta Do's and Don'ts

Ingredients

12 ounces orecchiette or other short pasta (3 cups)
1 bunch broccoli (1½ pounds), cut into small florets
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking water, and then return pasta to the pot.
Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Roast in the oven, tossing once, until broccoli is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Toss pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.)
Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

643	Calories
32g	Fat
73g	Carbs
73g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Calories 643
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 32g	41%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 20mg	7%
Sodium 405mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate 73g	27%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 73g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.