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.
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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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.
Delicious!!! Made it for guests tonight with a big salad and it was a hit.
It’s good! This is a staple in my apartment… nutritious, cheap, and tasty. Kind of like a more adult version of buttered noodles?
I meal prepped this last night and had it today and it was so good! I used extra feta and butter and skipped the steak seasoning because I didn’t have any. I had garlic marinaded chicken with it. That turned out well too. Another hit! Now I get to look forward to supper for the next three nights.
What a great quick and easy recipe! Great for a hot summer night. Only difference was I roasted the broccoli in my air fryer before tossing it in…lots of flavor without being too heavy! Will definitely make again!
This was a fantastic tasty and quick recipe. Will be doing again.
After taking my first bite, I spontaneously said, “Oh, that’s *good.” And then I was quiet for a while. :D
But seriously, this is REALLY good. It checks all my boxes: quick, easy (minimal measuring/chopping/pre-cooking), cheap, and packed with flavor. It turned out to be a surprisingly good “sweep the kitchen” (or pantry) meal, too. Some odds and ends of other types of pasta? Sure! Leftover chicken or chickpeas? Toss ‘em in!
I more or less quadrupled the recipe, and it’s already well on its way to gone.
Oh, and I forgot to say: I didn’t have steak seasoning on hand, but a healthy sprinkle each of salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic salt, and smoked paprika was a great substitute. It didn’t have the crunch of steak seasoning, but it came out amazing, so I’ll call this a feature rather than a bug.
This one wasn’t my favorite. It was quite bland. I added mushrooms to the roasting pan and added a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of pepper flakes at the end with the feta, but it just wasn’t that special. :/
This is such a hit in our house! We usually use whole wheat rotini and add a can of white beans or chickpeas for added protein. I have blanched the broccoli in the boiling water with the pasta the last minute or so of cooking to soften it a bit, and it works great as a one pot meal. It makes a great option for a cold lunch, and tastes even better the next day. Thank you!
For what it is… simple and easy, this is a delicious recipe. I added some warmed up, leftover panfried chicken breast I had on hand when I was mixing everything together at the end. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. It’s now added to my Pinterest ‘’Recipes To Make Again’ board. Thanks for sharing!
The recipe title caught my eye and I plan to try it, but I had to comment to say that the saying is “Keep it simple, stupid”, not “Keep it stupid simple”. but maybe you actually do prefer your version.
Easy and delicious. Served with a side salad and garlic bread.
Super delicious and simple to make. I didn’t have steak seasoning so I made my own with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and thyme. Was not expecting the mix of the lemon and feta to be so good, plus the roasted broccolis, was a nice surprise . My partner loved it too. For sure will make it more times.
Such a simple, heathy, and yummy recipe! I was looking to use up my broccoli and lemons. This was the perfect recipe using both ingredients. I didn’t have feta cheese, so I used goat cheese instead. It worked out great.