Sheet-Pan Spicy Roasted Broccoli Pasta
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2½pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
- ½teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 12ounces chiocciole or other tube-shaped pasta
- ⅓cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓cup panko bread crumbs
- 1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12ounces best quality, whole milk ricotta
- Fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
671 calories; 21 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 31 grams protein; 700 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together broccoli, oil, cumin (if using), ¾ teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 18 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Step 3
In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, panko, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the black pepper.
- Step 4
Toss cooked pasta with broccoli on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dollop with ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan mix, drizzle generously with oil, and broil until topping is crisped and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste, and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
trblmkr
Almost all dried past is sold in 1 lb. packages but the Times insists on recipes that call for 12 ozs! End the oppression of 4 oz. pasta leftovers!
Rona
I'm not a ricotta connoisseur, but even in NJ, I'm disinclined to seek out a specialty cheese shop and pay the high price for artisanal ricotta. Choose a whole milk ricotta that has the following ingredients, like our Shop Rite store brand: "Milk, Vinegar, Salt." I can happily eat it right out of the container. Skip the name brands whose ingredients read like this: "Pasteurized Milk, Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Vinegar, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum."
Sara
Made as indicated, but: 1) Agree about the 12 oz. I used a 1-pound box. I'm feeding teens here. 2) If you think this is too dry? You're not using enough oil when you roast. 3) Easiest way to prep broccoli for roasting is to put it in a BIG bowl and toss. Keep that bowl. Use it to toss cooked pasta and broccoli before dumping back on the sheet pan. Mixing straight on the sheet pan is madness. 4) Garlic in the crumbs. 5) Zest your lemon before juicing, toss the zest w/the broccoli
toast with gruyere
If you've got some lemons, vinegar, whole milk and a little salt -- you can make your own ricotta. It's quick and easy and about a million times better than the plastic tub stuff.
Alan
I would suggest cooking minced garlic in the oil before using. Also, serve good olive oil at the table for drizzling.
Francesco-in-Umbria
Very tasty but a bit dry. Next time, as it is definitely worth a next time, I am going to "juice" it up probably adding some pasta water to the ricotta or to the pan itself before placing under the broiler
Ed Deems
Alas Melissa I would love to hop over to the cheese shop but from central New Mexico that would Dallas or Denver or Phoenix. I doubt Albuquerque has a cheese monger. Still this sounds delicious so it is off to the chill fluorescent hell of Walmart for mass branded ricotta.
Heather
Nyt has a great, easy recipe for homemade ricotta. I realize you may still have to buy the ingredients at Walmart, but the final result will still be better.
Brett
This was easy and fast, and my wife liked it. Next time I make it, I would bump up the 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. I can also image drizzling a Tbsp or so of balsamic on at the end. It just needs a little more zing.
Charles Michener
I followed Clark to the letter, even to the point of buying artisan-made ricotta. But the combination of charred broccoli, curly pasta, that cumin from Ottolenghi, and the pricey ricotta turned into a barely digestible mess. The ricotta clumped. The broccoli and pasta turned rubbery under the broiler and panko. As a leftover - worse. Better to go with blanched broccoli, garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and al dente penne rigate, joined by parmesan and sloshes of heavy cream and pasta water.
Bob Morgen
I couldn't help myself: I infused some olive oil with garlic to use on the broccoli. And I added some simple beef meatballs to the tray during the broccoli cook. Wow! As to the ricotta controversy, I am sympathetic to those who can't get the real thing. I tried a 50/50 mix of store bought ricotta and fresh mozzarella. It was pretty nice!
CL
A good, somewhat widely available, store-bought brand is Calabro. I will say making ricotta is not all that hard, but it turns this simple, easy recipe into way more of a project than it was intended to be. Also, unfortunately, in my experience, homemade ricotta loses its edge over store-bought if it sits too long. You could probably even do this with fresh mozzarella (which I is more forgiving and I have seen at Target at least). Just add a bit more lemon to the mix.
Nancy
Make your own ricotta! It's cheaper, healthier, and takes about 15 minutes. It's a no brainer! Here's Melissa Clark's recipe. You'll never buy it again!
https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/how-to-make-fresh-ric...
Erin Rose
actually Albuquerque has some great options for cheeses, including two gigantic Whole Foods and the local Keller's Farm Market. You can also buy great quality handmade mozzarella at Farina Pizzeria.
Nancy in Austin
I've spent quite a bit of time in Albuquerque, some of it at the perfectly well-stocked Whole Foods. There is most certainly an acceptably high-end ricotta to be found there.
Christa
The lemon really makes this dish sing, as it does in so many of Melissa's recipes, and like Melissa. i have come to love sheet-pan recipes, too. Had not made this recipe in a while, and it was good to revisit it. The cumin seed added a marvelous touch as well--I always appreciate Melissa's judicious use of spices. I used shells, as she mentions in the video, as well as just supermarket ricotta, and the recipe was still good.
Christa
Melissa mentions in the video that you could also use cauliflower or squash, which would have been helpful to include in the recipe or notes.
suzi
Does anyone else have an issue with this dish making a strange chemical smell when broiling? I have made it 4 times because I think it tastes great. I’ve tried using different pans, and every time I get this weird smell that fills the kitchen. The broiler has no issues with anything else I’ve ever cooked in it.
Michaela
Yummy, needs more seasonings (cumin, pepper., salt, flakes) Used cumin powder
Tom of Poland
Double the red pepper. Douse generously with the best EVOO you have at every stage. Add pitted Kalamata olives. Broil longer; till the bread crumbs are a nice golden brown.
Meli
A really fun spin on a gratin! It did turn out a little dry so i recommend adding more lemon juice and keeping some pasta water on the sheet. This is a eat all in one go dish. Had some leftover and it didn reheat well.. came out even more dry. But excellent flavor combo and fun/ easy to make!
Kara
Toasted sourdough bread crumbs make all the difference in this recipe.
Jay
We've made this a couple of times; while it's definitely a quick and simple recipe, I've found that it can end up a bit dry and could use a bit more flavor. I'd recommend drizzling with a bit of EVOO when serving, as well as not skimping on the ricotta. Adding garlic in the breadcrumb mixture (or with the broccoli when roasting), as others have mentioned, could also help on the flavor front. All in all, a recipe I'd perhaps make again if pressed for time, but not in the top 10 NYT pastas.
Jess
My tips, having made this several times now: 1. Splurge on good ricotta if you can but it’s still a great recipe even with grocery store ricotta 2. Add a can of chickpeas to the 1st roasting step. You won’t regret it 3. If you simply must add more protein, add some pancetta or tempeh with the chickpeas in the first roasting step, or add rotisserie chicken with the pasta for the last roast 4. Adding chili crisp can change the flavor profile of the leftovers if you’re looking for variety.
Julie
Well, my husband and I loved this one. Great for a vegetarian supper guest. Three generous servings. I used 10 oz of pasta instead of 12, and 1/2 cup ea. of crumbs and Parmesan. Be liberal with the k. salt and o. oil. Don't skip the cumin seeds and crush a bit of fresh garlic into the crumb/cheese/zest mixture. A few more drops of olive oil once you've spooned this into your pasta bowl.
Cori M
Used mascarpone instead of ricotta. Delicious.
Blythe
Lazy cook over here and I didn’t want to boil a pot of water, so I took a page out of all the sheet pan recipes and subbed the boiled pasta for roasted gnocchi. It cooked for the same amount of time as the broccoli and I tossed it all together to finish the meal. Still a little dry as stated by other reviewers, but the easiest weeknight meal.
Rosa
I made this dish with homemade ricotta (Melissa Clarke’s recipe). It was all round delicious.
Thea
Put garlic in panko mix
Thea
Garlic in the crumbs
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