Ashley Alexander's Broccolini, Roasted Almond, & Lemon Spaghetti

Welcome to Put on a Spread, a recipe series that takes you inside the kitchens – and dining rooms – of some of our favorite home cooks. For this installment, Gather & Feast founder Ashley Alexander shares her recipe for a broccolini, roasted almond, and lemon spaghetti.

If we've learned anything from Ashley Alexander's popular roasted cauliflower orecchiette recipe, it's that you don't need meat to make the most satisfying and delectable pasta dish that will please any guest. 

Now, the founder of Gather & Feast shares another vegetarian pasta recipe - this time using broccolini.

Packed with fiber from an abundance of vegetables, freshness from herbs, crunch from roasted almonds, zest from lemon, and creaminess from cheese, every mouthful is an explosion of different textures and flavors that all work in harmony. 

Serve it with  a simple mixed leaf salad and you've got yourself the ultimate crowd pleaser (or midweek meal).

Serves 4-6

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Pinch chili flakes to your taste
• 3 bunches broccolini, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 large bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• Juice of half lemon
• ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• 100g marinated goat cheese
• 500g spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano to serve

Method

Place a large frypan onto medium heat.

Add the chopped broccolini, chili flakes, a generous pinch of salt, and about 3 tbs water.

Cover with a lid and simmer until the broccolini is a vibrant green.

Remove the lid, add 1-2 tbs olive oil, the garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, roasted almonds, and goat cheese.

Cook the spaghetti as per the packet instructions in plenty of salted water.

Drain the spaghetti, reserving at least one cup of the pasta water.

Add the drained spaghetti directly to the pan with the broccolini mixture.

Toss to combine, adding a little pasta water at a time to loosen the sauce (should be about ¼ cup in total).

Taste for salt and add as needed.

Serve topped with a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano and freshly cracked black pepper.

Shop Ashley's look with our Sage Tablecloth, Oatmeal Placemats, and Olive Napkins.

For more from Ashley, follow her on Instagram at @gatherandfeast.