Fill a large sauce pot with water and set over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, trim the broccoli florets, minced the garlic, and zest one lemon, making sure to only collect the yellow skin, not the bitter whites below. Save the rest of the lemon for another use.

Once the water is boiling, drop the pasta in the pot and stir. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When the pasta is 1 to 2 minutes from being perfectly cooked, stir the broccoli florets into the boiling water with the pasta. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Then scoop 2 cups of pasta water out of the boiling water to use for the sauce. Drain the pasta and boiled broccoli through a colander.

Set the pot back on the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot, followed by the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for one minute, stirring to make sure it does not burn. Then pour in one cup of pasta water.

Add the lemon zest, and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has melted into the pasta water. Then add in the shredded cheddar cheese, crushed red pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir the sauce until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli into the cheese sauce. Gently stir to coat. Add an additional ½ to 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce to loosen it if needed. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.