Lemony Pasta with Broccoli and Ham

For a quick weeknight dinner, Pasta often comes to my rescue. I try to keep it simple with very few spices and condiments. Pasta dressed up in heavy sauce is reserved for special occasions! 😉 Here is a simple but yummy Lemon Flavored Pasta with Broccoli and Ham.

It is dairy free as I haven’t used Cheese. So enjoy it without guilt! If you are on a gluten-free diet, you can use Brown Rice Pasta or Quinoa Pasta instead of wheat pasta. The whole meal can be prepared in less than thirty minutes. Don’t you worry about slogging in the kitchen! This is how my pictures look when I use indoor lighting. I need to change the White Balance. Hopefully next time!

Easy Lemon Flavored Pasta

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Pasta – 12 oz packet ( I used Tri Colored Rotini)
Broccoli Florets – separated from 1 small broccoli
Diced Slow Cooked Ham – 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp approx (Use juice from 1 big lemon)
Red Chilly Flakes – 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper powder – 1/8 tsp
Melted Butter/Olive Oil – 1.5 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Pasta Water – 2 tbsp

Preparation Method

Roughly chop the broccoli florets into smaller pieces.
Bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
When the pasta is around half-cooked, throw in the broccoli florets. Keep stirring occasionally.
Drain everything into a colander when the pasta is al dente (cooked but firm) and reserve the water.
Transfer 4 cups of the cooked pasta and Broccoli into a bowl. Add the diced ham.
In another bowl, whisk lemon juice, butter, salt, pepper and red chilly flakes along with 2 tbsp of the reserved pasta liquid.
Pour it over the pasta. Toss everything and serve immediately.

Note

You can double the recipe for more servings.
Refrigerate the remaining pasta and broccoli. You can use it in other recipes.
You can also refrigerate the reserved Pasta Water for a few days. It can be used for thickening soups and stews.
If you don’t eat ham, you can substitute it with boiled and cubed chicken breasts.