There are two parts of this recipe that were new to me. One is pappardelle and the other is a concoction of ingredients known as gremolata. While I’d heard of pappardelle before, I had not heard of gremolata. In the past, I usually turned away from recipes that included words I had no clue about or ingredients I had difficulty finding. Familiarity is comfort.
Then, if I did step out of my comfortably padded box and look for, say, haloumi (do you know it?), I had difficulty finding it. I still haven’t found haloumi. What about sorrel?
Instead of ignoring unfamiliar words or ingredients, I started embracing them, filing them away in my virtual file cabinet so when I come across the ingredient or word, I either grab the ingredient off the shelf or farm stand or pin or print the recipe.
Yotam Ottolonghi has done this to me. After combing through and being inspired by his book Plenty, undeterred, I started to become bolder in my quest to add more ingredient and ingredient combination variety to my life.
Yotam titled this recipe Crunchy Pappardelle, but I took the liberty of changing it up a bit because, well, the Pappardelle is not crunchy in and of itself. I’m kinda literal like that.
And while he does not use the term gremolata anywhere in his recipe, I later learned a mix of garlic, parsley and lemon zest is otherwise known as gremolata. With panko added, one now has a crunchy gremolata. So a new name, Pappadelle with Broccolini and Crunchy Gremolata, has been issued, with an almost unchanged recipe and with all due respect.
Am I making sense?
Pappardelle (pa-par-DAY-lay) is an Italian eggy pasta that is usually served with a hearty, rich sauce. It is derived from the verb pappare meaning “to gobble up.” I can see why. Restraint is not my strong suit when it comes to pasta.
I finally located dried pappardelle at our local wine/gourmet shop. It had been there all along it just wasn’t on my radar until I came across Yotam’s recipe in Plenty.
While there’s much hands-on-time involved in preparing this recipe, it comes together quickly. I can easily put this together for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. I am always tempted to serve up some crusty sourdough with this dish, yet I resist. It is super rich, so a little goes a long way. Serve with a salad, a good bottle of red, and a delicious meal is ready.
the recipe
Pappardelle with Broccolini and Crunchy Gremolata
Ingredients
For the Gremolata:
- 3 Tbs Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
- 1 Clove Large of Garlic microplaned
- 3 Tbs Fresh Parsley chopped
For the Sauce:
- 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 1/2 C Cremini Mushrooms destemmed and sliced (I used 2 6-oz packages)
- 1/2 C White Wine
- 1 Bayleaf
- 3 leaves Sprigs of Thyme destemmed, chopped (about 1-1 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 C Heavy Cream
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
For the Pasta and Broccolini:
- 6 oz Dried Pappardelle
- 2-3 C Reserved Pasta Water
- 1 in Bunch of Broccolini cut on the bias 1" pieces (8 oz)
For Garnish:
- 1/2 Lemon sliced thin or cut into wedges
Instructions
For the Gremolata:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Toast the Panko Bread Crumbs for 7 minutes or until golden.
- Once the breadcrumbs are cool, toss with the lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Set aside.
For the Sauce:
- In large 3 1/2-quart sauté pan, gently heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start taking on a darker color, about 6 minutes, stir only occasionally to get a good sear on them. Add wine, thyme, bayleaf, sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer until reduced by 2/3, about 9 minutes. Remove bayleaf and discard. Add salt, pepper and cream. Stir. Remove from heat.Taste to see if seasoning needs adjusting. Place lid on sauce to keep warm.
For the Pasta and Broccolini:
- Fill a large sauce pot 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pappardelle according to package directions (mine took about 11 minutes). Drain over a large spouted bowl or measuring cup, reserving the pasta water.
- Fill a small sauce pot 1/2 full of water and bring to a simmer. Place the broccolini in the simmering water and blanche for two minutes. Strain and run cold tap water over the broccolini to stop it from cooking further. Set aside.
To Assemble:
- Place sauce on low heat to reheat. To the sauce, add the pasta. Toss well assessing how much pasta water to add. I add about 1/2 cup at a time and toss gently after each addition. Keep adding pasta water until desired consistency. (I usually add about 2-3 C of pasta water)
- Add the broccolini and lemon juice and toss to gently reheat.
- Taste for seasoning adjustment, adding a few grinds of pepper if needed.
Plate-up and finish:
- Plate the pasta, finishing each serving with a good sprinkle of the crunchy gremolata. Serve with a wedge of lemon for squeezing.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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I love this recipe. It is a lot of hands on time, but not too difficult and so worth it. I think this needs to become a regular
Hey David! Thank you for your note! Agreed, lots of focus, but in the end, a simple and hearty pasta dish! SO happy you enjoyed it! :D
This is a great spring dinner recipe! I just made my own pasta from scratch the other day and I’ve been looking for good pasta recipes to try out.
Way to go, Shikha, for making your own pasta, something I’ve yet to do! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hiiiii Ali! Thank you so much! I’ll do my best! :D
*Crunchy* gremolata! Oh yes, that sounds perfect. I love all the flavors of gremolata, I’m a sucker for lemon anything….BUT, crunchy gremolata is new to me and I am so excited to give it a try. And the rest of the recipe looks delicious too. Thank you for the great inspiration!
Oh, I know, right, Jen?! Crunchy is good! Thanks for stopping by! :D
What a perfect springtime dish. And those floors are beautiful!
Thank you, Sarah! :D
This looks heavenly. I’m always intimidated by creating new foods I’ve never heard of before, so I can relate. It looks like you nailed it though. (I’ll have to look up Plenty now.) I’ve been searching for Haloumi for ages and still can’t find any in a store near me. I’m thinking I will never find any.
Thank you, Amanda! Good to know, I’m not the only one who cant find Haloumi! :D
Ok, so I’m a total Ottolonghi groupie for sure. You did him proud, Traci! I love your take on this! And, now I’m starving.
I’ve tried halloumi once and it’s fab (think firm, chewy feta). You can pan fry and grill it too! It’s like a super cheese! But as you mentioned, it’s really difficult to find and $$$. But grab some if you can; it’s worth the experience :) xo
LOL; Ottolonghi groupie! Haaaa!! Good to know Halloumi is hard to find. I just need to make sure I scope it out at each store I go to. Whole Foods is a 1.5 hour drive, and I do go occasionally. I bet they have it! Thank you for your recommendation, Emilie! :D
First of all, I just love your beautiful photos. :)
I am also guilty of shying away from the unfamiliar but this post is a great example of why that can be so silly. The title might sound complicated but the ingredient list is completely recognizable! And it sounds pretty amazing too. ;)
It’s funny because I actually have Plenty sitting on my bookshelf and I haven’t made one recipe from it because of the same aforementioned fear. I think it’s about time to change that!
Thank you my dear! :D IDK why we do that to ourselves! Does it look too difficult? IDK? Go grab Plenty, Sarah and just pick something, randomly. I asked Rob to do this for me and he picked his top three. I made them all and loved them!
Seriously dying over that crunchy gremolata!! What a gorgeous pasta dish!
Anything crunchy, right? :D
Mushroom pappardelle is one of my favourite comfort foods! This looks delicious, I love the broccolini and gremolata! Tasty recipe, Traci! :D
Thank you Jess! It is soooo good! :D
Wow, this looks incredible! This is just what I want for dinner right now – you’re making me hungry! Pinned.
Thank you Rachel, and thank you for your pin! :D
Omg this looks amazing!!! I’ve never heard of this, but after your discription, it sounds like a very fitting name!! I definitely need to try this sometime!
Thank you Anne! :D
Ohhhhhhhh my, Traci!! When I saw this recipe on Facebook I knew this is a recipe I have to try! It looks absolutely SO delicious – my mouth is actually watering!! I was just about to make dinner but am wishing I had all the ingredients to whip this up instead. I’m very intrigued by the gremolata – I’ll have to keep my eye open for it! Have a great weekend!! Pinned!
LOL! I think you’ll like the gremolata. It’s so refreshing and crunchy, thanks to that panko!
Broccolini screams spring to me! I love this pasta and I love panko… so creative :)
It does, right?! Just in time! I love it too.. and yes, panko. I get it! :D
This is awesome Traci, I need more inspiration in my cooking adventures! I almost thought you made the pappardelle yourself. Never heard of gremolata though. Love this dish! Pinned!
Hehe… well… I was thinking about getting a pasta roller.. I have made it before, not in my kitchen though. But I just don’t think I can fit one more thing in my kitchen. SO for now, the pasta roller is out. Thank you for your pin, Mira! :D
I am just so excited that you made this recipe, Traci! This is one of my absolute favorites from Plenty. Your photos are gorgeous – they are making me want to cook this asap! And I love your comment about trying new things. There are so many things I still need to try out (I seem to have missed the miso boat), but you’re right that it’s good to take chances on these new ingredients. Thanks for the inspiration, as usual!
Is it?! That’s awesome, Julia! No worries on the miso boat.. I eat it in miso soup, but have yet to make anything else with it. It’s on the agenda! Thank you, Julia! :D
Haha, I do the same thing Traci!! I’ve heard of gremolata before but had no idea what it was either until now! Thank you for introducing me to something new! And that big pasta looks so good too! I love adding all kinds of delicious veggies into my pasta dishes and this fits the bill perfectly! I especially love your last photo :)
Thank you, Izzy! So glad we all now know what gremolata is! So simple, funny name! :D
You are making perfect sense…I love the idea of a crunchy gremolata. Pappardalle is a perfect hearty pasta for your gorgeous rich sauce! Yotam Ottolonghi knows what he is doing! I love his recipes and love your adaptation, Traci!
Okay… good. Thank you Annie! :D
Wow that pasta dish looks amazing! So many awesome flavors going on!! Pinned :)
Thank you, Christina! :D
I love pappardelle! This recipe looks great and, as always, your photos do too!
Thank you Carolyn! :D
Your gremolata turned out beautifully Traci – I find it really adds to this recipe (I can taste it from here :D ). Good for you for venturing into unknown territory and rising to the challenge. My biggest deterrent is time… I don’t know, between work, raising children, pets, sports, I do quite a bit of running around and have to pick my priorities. Having said that, I do fall into ruts and appreciate being sparked into something new. This recipe is great inspiration. The combination of ingredients is positively swoon-worthy and I would welcome this splurge meal with open arms. My fave photo is the one with the two plates – just a stunner! (ps your change-up of the name crunchy pappardelle made me smile – true enough ;-) ).
Awwh, yes. Time. It’s a tough one. Cooking up a nourishing meal every night can often be a challenge. Trying not to be too hard on one’s self about it can also be tough… You’ve a full life for sure, Kelly! I so appreciate your stopping by each week and am grateful we’ve connected.
Oh yeah, Yotam does that. He combines things I’d not considered and makes it approachable. Even though many of his ingredient lists are often long, it’s usually just the combination of spices and herbs that makes it read like a short story! hehe And this really does come together pretty quick. It’s juggling all the pans on the stove at one time that gets me when I make it… there’s so much going on all at once! I hope you enjoy it Kelly!
Traci! This recipe! These photos! Everything is just so beautiful and thoughtful. What a perfect spring dish. You are a constant inspiration : )
Thank you, Natalie! Likewise! :D
Aahh, pasta – my favorite. The combination of broccolini and mushroom and that lovely sauce sounds perfect. I always think of gremolata as something to add to meat – never thought of adding it to pasta. Love the addition of panko to the gremolata, too. It’s a bright, crunchy burst of flavor added to your great pasta dish. Definitely looking forward to trying this, Traci!
Oh yeah, who knew gremolata could be so versatile! I really was surprised at the level of flavor it added, just to brighten the dish even more. I’ll be incorporating it more.. into other things… I’ve had a flood of inspiration! I hope you enjoy it, Geraldine! :D
I’ve learned something new here again, Traci! Didn’t know it’s called gremolata, although I use this combination also often. So thanks a lot!
Plenty is one of the coolest books ever, it’s my veggie bible, an absolute must have! The recipe sounds great and your pictures are BEAUTIFUL again/always!! They sell pappardelle here everywhere, but I’ve never seen broccolini here unfortunately. But I’ll look for it or try the recipe with simple broccoli ;)
You’re welcome, Evi and thank you! I’m inspired each time I open Ottolongi’s Plenty. I can’t wait to get my hands on Plenty More! Simple broccoli will be delicious in this dish!
Hello, good day,
Halloumi is THE frying cheese – i buy a slap of 350 to 400 g for the two of us, cut it in 2 to 4 slices, roll it in matzo meal and fry it in hot butter or ghee or duck fat (pork lard should also do it) and it is absolutely lovely.
as per wikipedia it originates from Cyprus (around AD 395 1191) and spread to the middle east, is made from goat’s and sheep’s milk and sometimes cow’s milk (ours is made mainly from cows milk – South Africa).
Halloumi is in the US registered as a protected Cypriot product, since 1990 – but not in the EU – amazing!
it is really enjoyable!
Margret
Oh wow, Margret, thank you for sharing all this great info on Halloumi! I’ve not tried matzo meal either… sounds like something I need to do! :D
I love everything about this! And the gremolata is just the cream on top! Beautiful.
Oh yeah, Andrea, the gremolata really makes this dish pop! :D
Hands down, one of my favorite cook books. It’s pure genius and oh so inspiring. I would gobble this up too – no restraint when it comes to slurping pasta!
Oh it’s sooo good. It’s really stretched my skills and ingredient awareness. I just tried tamarind too.. oh! It’s delicious! Yup – no restraint! :D
I loved pappardelle back in the day. I’ve yet to find an eggless product, but I’m going to have to search harder. This is a beautiful recipe. I can almost smell the lemon and garlic through the screen.
Good idea, Linda. I’ll be on the lookout too! This recipe is fragrant and the gremolata just makes the dish even better! Thank you for stopping by! :D
Gremolata.
As usual, absolutely stunning, need to make this. Love Yotam! Love gremolta! Love Traci! Now, get some haloumi and grill it. It will change your life!
Yes, so I am told. I’ve been on the lookout, but haven’t found it yet. I think I’ll ask my cheese monger next time I’m there… which will be… uh, this weekend! If they don’t have it, I’m certain it can be ordered! Thank you Deb! :D