Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Fusilli

So, this recipe was really good and really easy for a week day dinner.  There seems to be a lot of lemon in the recipe and I guess there is, but the lemony taste is not overwhelming at all.  Also, this dish is really creamy and with the lemon, it is sort of a unique taste you don't get every day.  I also really liked the tomatoes (but I love tomatoes so I'm partial) and I almost didn't add the broccoli but I'm really glad I did because it tasted good with the cream.  I guess you could make this healthier by reducing the cream, but that doesn't sound like fun. 

Oh, one thing... I thought there was too much arugula.  Another thing - don't think she's kidding when she says to cook the pasta in the cream sauce til most of it is absorbed by the pasta... if not, well, I guess there is such a thing as too rich... and that's what will happen here. 

I'll include the recipe which I got online from Food Network (I know, I'm cheating on Cook's Illustrated, the purpose of the blog.... but I'm gonna mix it up a bit... take it out and chop it up .... that's a Royal Tenenbaum's reference that happens to be perfect for cooking). 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-fusilli-with-arugula-recipe/index.html:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.