I made Ina Garten's pantry-friendly pasta and had dinner on the table in 15 minutes

Anneta KonstantinidesOct 27, 2020, 17:23 IST

Insider

Ina Garten has become a quarantine hero for many, making sure to share pantry-friendly dishes during the pandemic.
One of the first recipes she shared was her broccoli and bow ties pasta, which Garten said can be adjusted with whatever's in your kitchen.
I made the Barefoot Contessa's recipe with broccolini and penne, and it only took me 15 minutes.
The simple dish — which tastes fresh and vibrant — is also a much-needed reminder of spring.

The holidays will be here before we know it, which means we'll be spending even more time in the kitchen.

So pantry-friendly dishes that you can make in a flash are a must right now — at least for me. And one of my favorites is Ina Garten's simple broccoli and bow ties recipe.

I made Garten's easy pasta — which takes less than 15 minutes — when lockdown first began, and have found it to be one of the simplest dishes you can make from the Barefoot Contessa. And as temperatures dip, this bright and vibrant recipe is a much-needed reminder of spring.

Many flocked to Ina Garten's Instagram for cooking advice as the world went into lockdown in March.

Ina Garten has become a quarantine hero for many during the pandemic. Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Broccoli and bow ties was the very first recipe that Garten shared with her followers that month, and it was one of the first "Barefoot Contessa" dishes I ever made.

I spent the day living like Garten, and learned some great recipes — and essential cooking lessons. Ina Garten/Instagram; Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

To begin Garten's dish, I first needed to cook my broccolini.

I cooked my broccolini for three minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After three minutes were up, I removed the broccolini and placed it in a separate bowl.

I put my broccolini in a different bowl so I could save the cooking water. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

But I didn't throw out the broccolini water.

I cooked my pasta for around 12 minutes. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time to whip up the sauce. But first, I needed to get creative.

I used a vegetable peeler and knife to zest my lemon. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Once my lemon zest was ready, it took less than two minutes to make the sauce.

I whipped up my sauce as my pasta was cooking. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After 12 minutes were up, I drained my pasta and put the penne back into the same pot so I could mix it with the broccolini.

Garten's broccoli and bow ties pasta looked so fresh and vibrant. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My pasta looked as vibrant and fresh as the dish had appeared on Garten's Instagram.

I added plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And Garten's dish tasted just as light and bright as it looked.

The garlic and lemon gave Garten's pasta a big burst of flavor. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The pasta held up really well when I ate my leftovers two days later, and I found that it also paired great with Garten's salmon recipe.

Garten's salmon teriyaki (pictured) is the perfect protein for her broccoli and bow ties pasta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Garten's broccoli and bow ties taught me some essential cooking lessons at the start of the pandemic that I've held onto since.

I ate Garten's pasta with leftovers from her salmon and it was a match made in heaven. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

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