Creamy Mushroom Pork Orecchiette with Broccoli

Steps

1. Prep first: chop the onion, mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms, cut the broccoli into florets and chop the parsley.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add half of the salt.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes less than the package time. Add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes. Scoop out a cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and broccoli.
4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up, until browned and it reaches 160°F (71°C), about 7 minutes. Move the pork to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
5. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook until golden, about 4 minutes more.
6. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
7. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by about half, about 4 minutes.
8. Lower the heat to medium-low. Whisk the milk and ricotta together in a bowl, then stir this mixture into the skillet with the remaining half of the salt and the black pepper; warm gently without boiling.
9. Return the pork to the skillet, add the drained pasta and broccoli and the Parmesan, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta, splashing in reserved cooking water as needed to keep it silky.
10. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, scatter over the parsley and serve right away.