Lemon juice, zest and plenty of garlic give this a quick & easy dish a healthy kick of flavor.  Fusilli col Buco is twisted and hollow inside like macaroni, but long and thin like spaghetti. Use any spiral shaped pasta if you can’t find that particular noodle.  Tip: Use time while the garlic is roasting and pasta water is coming to the boil to prep the other ingredients.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main course

Ingredients

12 oz. Fusilli col Buco or other long, thin spiral pasta, broken into 6-8″ long pieces
15 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
3 cups raw broccoli florets
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. vegan butter (e.g. Soy-free Earth Balance), optional
6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsely
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
pinch coarse sea salt plus more for finishing
1/3 cup grated vegan Parmesan-style cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF/230ºC. Place peeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover (but not tightly) with foil and roast on middle rack for 30 minutes. Let roasted garlic cool, then chop and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to package directions, keeping the water at a steady boil and stirring occasionally. During last 5 minutes of pasta cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot. Use a slotted spoon to remove broccoli to a bowl, before draining and rinsing cooked pasta.

In a large sauté or sauce pan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. When oil is warm, add the raw garlic and swirl around to cook for 2-3 minutes until it is no longer raw; do not overcook. Add chopped roasted garlic (plus vegan butter if using) and cook over medium-low heat for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add drained, cooked broccoli to pan, stir to coat with garlic/oil mixture, then add lemon juice. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5 more minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in salt and red pepper flakes.

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce pan and gently stir/toss over low heat until well combined with sauce and pasta is heated through.  Gently adjust seasoning, if needed, with additional sea salt and red pepper. Remove from heat then toss in vegan cheese, lemon zest and parsley. Transfer finished pasta to a large serving dish or directly to plates. Top individual servings with additional grated cheese and scattering of chopped parsley.