Keep it stupid simple. That saying applies to so much in life, including food. One of my favorite “stupid simple” meals is buttered pasta with a vegetable and a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Incredibly simple, incredibly good, and a million ways you can play on that theme. This Roasted Broccoli Pasta with Lemon and Feta is just buttered pasta with charred oven roasted broccoli, steak seasoning, bright lemon, and salty feta. The flavor combo is absolutely to die for and it really couldn’t be any easier.
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What is Steak Seasoning?
Steak seasoning, sometimes called Montreal steak seasoning, is one of the few pre-made spice blends that I keep in my pantry. This chunky-crunchy blend of spices has big pieces of salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and other spices. It’s not just good for steak, it’s also great with broccoli, potatoes, pasta, and a million other things. The way the coarsely ground spices coat the surface of food provides a slightly crunchy texture, a subtle smokiness, and big pops of flavor. I put it on everything.
You should be able to find some form of steak seasoning at most major grocery stores. McCormick makes one, as does Aldi and Kroger.
Do I have to use Whole Wheat Pasta?
You can actually use any type of pasta you have on hand for this recipe, BUT I find that the slightly nutty flavor of whole wheat pasta pairs the best with the flavors in this dish. And while you can use a long shaped pasta, like spaghetti or linguine, shorter shapes will be easier to stir together with the rest of the ingredients. Bowtie and rotini are great alternatives to the penne.
Fresh Lemon is a Must
The fresh lemon carries a lot of weight in the flavor profile of this pasta, so please don’t be tempted to skip it! Whole lemons can be on the pricier side, but if you buy a whole bag of lemons and keep them in your freezer, you’ll pay less per lemon. Frozen lemons are still great for zesting and juicing, but will not be pretty for garnishing or slicing.
Can I use Frozen Broccoli?
If you know me then you know I love to roast frozen broccoli. It’s fast, easy, and totally delish. But for this recipe I highly recommend using fresh instead of frozen broccoli. Fresh broccoli is not as “wet” as frozen broccoli, so you get a better char on the outside edges, which lends a really smoky flavor to this pasta. You can use frozen in a pinch, but you’ll get much better flavor with fresh for this recipe.
Roasted Broccoli Pasta with Lemon and Feta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 lb. broccoli crowns ($1.79)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 tsp steak seasoning ($0.10)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.39)
- 8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta ($0.50)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)
- 1 oz. crumbled feta ($0.55)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the florets out over the baking sheet. Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil and sprinkle the steak seasoning over top. Toss the broccoli until it is well coated in oil and seasoning.
- Roast the broccoli for 20-25 minutes, or until it is brown and crispy on the edges.
- While the broccoli is roasting, prepare the rest of the dish. Bring a pot of water to boil for the penne. Once boiling, add the pasta, and continue to boil until the pasta is tender (8-10 minutes). Reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is boiling, zest a lemon, then cut it into wedges.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot (heat turned off). Add the roasted broccoli florets, the butter, about 1 tsp lemon zest, and the juice from two of the lemon wedges. Stir the ingredients together, letting the residual heat from the pasta melt the butter. If the pasta seems too dry, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water.
- Top the pasta with crumbled feta and a pinch or two more steak seasoning, if desired. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
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Equipment
- Color Cutting Boards
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Roasted Broccoli Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop the broccoli crowns into small florets.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the broccoli florets out over the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle 1 tsp steak seasoning over the broccoli.
Toss the broccoli florets until they are well coated in oil and seasoning.
Roast the broccoli florets in the 400ºF oven for about 25 minutes, or until they are well browned and crispy on the edges.
While the broccoli is roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add 8 oz. whole wheat penne and continue to boil until the pasta is tender (8-10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
While the broccoli is roasting and the pasta is boiling, zest the lemon then cut it into wedges.
Once the pasta has drained, but is still hot, return it to the pot (with the heat turned off) and add the roasted broccoli, 2 Tbsp butter, about 1 tsp lemon zest, and the juice from two of the lemon wedges.
Stir the pasta to combine the ingredients and let the hot pasta melt the butter. If the pasta becomes dry, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water. Once the butter has fully melted, top the pasta with 1 oz. crumbled feta.
Serve with the remaining lemon wedges for squeezing over each bowl. If desired, add an additional pinch or two of steak seasoning.
Loved it! At first, I thought it was going to be kinda boring but by the time it all came together it was delicious!
Wasn’t expecting too much from such a simple recipe, but ended up having it two nights in a row! Roasted broccoli is to die for. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular repertoire
I made this and loved it! I wasn’t very careful with measuring proportions (just kind of threw together the broccoli, noodles, and feta I had on hand), and instead of steak seasoning, I added a small amount of thinly-sliced medium rare strip steak. Delicious!
Delicious. I added some salmon fillets dusted with the steak spice that was pan fried and added it to the dish. I accidentally cooked the broccoli an extra 7-10ish min which actually added a good charred flavor to the dish. Very good, simple and delicious!
I used the same recipe but roasted asparagus, yellow squash, green beans, and kale with it. Then added some chopped tomatoes when I was mixing it all together and it is AMAZING
YUM! What a surprisingly delicious dish for how simple it is. My 4 year old loved it and even BEGGED to have the leftovers for daycare lunch the next day
I’m eating this right now and didn’t want to wait to leave a review. So tasty and very easy – I used frozen broccoli that I tossed in olive oil and the steak seasoning and roasted in my air fryer for about 10 minutes at 425. Fresh broccoli would have been better but this is still hitting the spot! I tossed in some kalamata olives at the end because I had them leftover from a different recipe. They added a nice tangy pop, but are definitely not necessary because you get that brightness already from the lemon and feta. I’m definitely adding this to my rotation.
Hi! Is there a good substitute for steak seasoning? I haven’t used it before and I’m not sure what the flavor profile is supposed to be. Thank you!
Hi! Check the paragraph right after the first photo in the blog post, titled “What is Steak Seasoning” to see what the flavor profile is. That might give you some good ideas about what you might like to use in its place. The simplicity of the steak seasoning is what makes this really special, so I’m not sure I can suggest a substitute.
It’s cheap. Just buy some and try it. It’s not really possible to give a flavor profile except garlic, pepper, onion, salty etc…. different steak seasoning tastes different but to know you just need to try it.
Loved this recipe. Even good the next day!
Great recipe! Thank you. I used bowties for the pasta.
Made this the other night and LOVED IT. Will definitely try again. I’m wondering if substituting goat cheese would be a good idea?
Hello I was wondering what you could replace the feta with if you don’t have feta? I have parmesan and cheddar, and mozzarella and Swiss cheese cheese mix would any of those work?
Parmesan would probably be delicious. It will definitely be a different flavor profile from what is here, but Parmesan is always good on roasted vegetables and pasta. :)
Thanks so much Beth, I can’t wait to make this one!
Really light and refreshing dish.
Such a great and simple recipe! Comes together so easily and tastes fantastic. I haven’t been able to find the steak seasoning here but have found an alternative. For others in the UK, Sainsbury’s has a roast garlic and herb grinder that works great on the broccoli.
This might be a silly question but what equals 1 serving? My daughter (strictly) counts her calories but won’t eat when I don’t know what the calories are. It says 1 serving is 345 calories but how much is 1 serving? Thank you so much.
hiya Gina, the recipe says it is 4 servings so if 1 serving is 345 calories then 25% of the total amount of food made would be 345 calories, assuming you follow the recipe exactly. basically divide in to 4 equal sized portions and each is 345 cals.