1 pound (450 grams) paccheripasta, or pastas of choice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil, more for drizzling
2 cups (500 mL) frozen broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic[LD1] [cF2]
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable or chicken broth or water
4 cups (1000 mL) fresh or frozen baby spinach
Handful of fresh basil, more to serve
½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream (35%) or labneh
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup (125 mL) finely grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese plus more to serve
Cracked black pepper
Basil Oil for drizzling
Directions
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package recommends. Scoop out and reserve ½ cup (125 mL) of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Drizzle it with olive oil and a toss so that it doesn’t stick together.
Return the empty saucepan to the burner and turn the heat up to high. Add the olive oil and broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns a bright green. Add the garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the spinach. Stir to wilt the spinach. Turn off the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli, garlic, spinach and fresh basil to a high-powered blender. Pulse to combine. With the blender running on low speed, slowly stream any broth remaining in the pot, followed by the cream. If you’re using the labneh instead of cream, add about half of the pasta water and puree until smooth. Season with salt.
Transfer the broccoli sauce back to the saucepan. Add the pasta. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the lemon juice and pecorino cheese. Stir to combine. The pasta should be quite saucy, so if it’s looking a little dry, add another splash or two of pasta water and stir to combine.
Divide the pasta among bowls. Garnish with more pecorino cheese, cracked black pepper, and basil[LD3] oil. Serve immediately.
