We'll teach you how to make the creamiest broccoli with minimal effort and turn it into a beautiful dish.
is one of the tastiest, easiest and creamiest pasta dishes you can make in under 20 minutes with six simple ingredients.
It's almost as if broccoli was made for this dish, and its flavour and texture are a perfect match for pasta cooked al dente.
For this recipe, we took our inspiration from Italian cuisine. This dish is a staple in Italy, especially in the south, and you'll quickly see why!
To prepare it, we boil the broccoli for only 5 minutes, drain it and add it to a pan with extra virgin olive oil, grated garlic and red pepper flakes. Then we cook them in the pan until they become soft and creamy, almost like pesto.
Meanwhile, we cook the pasta in broccoli water to infuse it with flavor. Then, finally, we toss it with the sauce, and that's it!
Optionally, you can add parmesan cheese or not. Either way, the recipe is delicious.
Few dishes are as simple, tasty, quick and healthy as this broccoli pasta. Tell us what you think!
INGREDIENTS :
BROCCOLI
Use fresh broccoli for best results, although you can also use frozen broccoli if you have some in your freezer.
We use the broccoli florets and leaves, if they are attached to the head of the broccoli. We save the larger stalks for our broccoli soup.
OLIVE OIL
Use extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. Compared to regular olive oil, extra virgin oil is fruitier, nuttier and tastier in general. It also contains a higher amount of antioxidants that make it much healthier than most other oils.
GARLIC
Fresh garlic is your only option here. Its pungent flavor pairs perfectly with the sweetness of creamy broccoli. Our advice is to grate it with a zester or the small holes of a box grater so it dissolves into the sauce.
RED PEPPER FLAKES
shouldn't be very spicy, but a pinch or two of red pepper flakes helps make this dish even more flavorful.
SALT AND PEPPER
We use coarse sea salt to season the pasta water, fine sea salt or kosher salt for the broccoli sauce, and a generous amount of ground black pepper.
PASTA
Here we recommend a short pasta type, such as orecchiette, farfalle, fusilli, conchiglie, penne, rotini, rigatoni, penner, etc.
Whatever pasta you use, the important thing is to cook it al dente, with a slight bite.
PARMESAN
Grated Parmesan cheese or a dairy-free alternative is optional. With the cheese, the pasta will be a little more flavorful; however, without the cheese, this is still absolutely delicious.
INSTRUCTIONS /
STEP 1: PREPARE THE BROCCOLI
Cut the broccoli into small florets and boil them in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes, until they are fork tender but not fully cooked.
Tip: We recommend cooking the broccoli (and pasta) in 4 liters of water seasoned with 1 ½ ( 30 grams) tablespoons of coarse sea salt or 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of fine sea salt.
Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon (do not discard the water) and place them in a large skillet or hooded oven with extra virgin olive oil, grated garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
Add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water, then simmer the broccoli over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Now mash with a fork to make a broccoli sauce.
Tip: You can reserve some of the florets for garnishing pasta.
STEP 2: COOK AND TOSS THE PASTA
While the broccoli is simmering, cook the pasta in the same large pot of water in which you cooked the broccoli; this will give the pasta extra flavor.
Cook according to package directions, minus 1.5 minutes to keep the pasta very al dente.
Boil the pasta in the same pot
Reserve one cup of water for the pasta before draining it. Add the pasta to the broccoli sauce. Then add a ladleful of the reserved pasta water and the black pepper.
Finish cooking the pasta over medium heat for less than a minute while stirring it into the sauce. Add reserved pasta water if necessary.
You can add grated Parmesan cheese or its dairy-free alternative if you like.
The is ready when the is creamy and coats each piece of pasta perfectly.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS /
Serve on a plate or in a pasta bowl and garnish with the reserved broccoli florets, a pinch of red pepper flakes and, optionally, some grated Parmesan cheese (or a dairy-free alternative).
Some recipes suggest adding a drizzle of juice and grated zest on top. Feel free to do this if you want to add a fresh, tangy, lemony flavor.
If you're serving this dish as a main meal, as we usually do, we recommend pairing it with a protein dish. We have a few plant-based, high-protein dishes for you:
STORAGE
As with most pasta recipes, this is best eaten directly from the pan shortly after making it.
To store leftovers, let the pasta cool completely first, then put it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave with two tablespoons of water (pasta dries out in the refrigerator), or on a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Broccoli Pasta :
is a creamy, delicious pasta dish you can make with 6 simple ingredients and about 20 minutes for weeknight dinners.
We'll teach you how to make the creamiest broccoli ever with minimal effort and turn it into a beautiful dish.
- Prep Time5 mins
- Cook Time15 mins
- Total Time20 mins
- CourseMain, pasta
- CuisineAmerican Italian
- Servings
- 'people
- Calories419 kcal
INGREDIENTS :
- 1 pound broccoli (about 1 large head or 2 small ones)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces pasta orecchiette, rigatoni, fusilli, or other short pasta
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated, or dairy-free alternative
INSTRUCTIONS :
- Cut broccoli into small florets and boil in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes.
- Boil the broccoli in the water
- Remove them from the water with a skimmer (don't throw away the water) and add them to a large pan with extra virgin olive oil, grated garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
- broccoli in a hooded oven with olive oil and garlic
- Add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and simmer the broccoli over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Mash with a fork to make a broccoli sauce.
- Tip: You may wish to reserve a few florets for garnishing pasta.
- broccoli
- While the broccoli is simmering, cook the pasta in the same water you cooked the broccoli in.
- Cook it according to package directions, minus 1½ minutes.
- Boil the pasta in the same pot
- Reserve a cup of water for the pasta, drain it and add it to the broccoli sauce. Add a ladleful of the reserved pasta water and the black pepper.
- The pasta is mixed with the broccoli sauce.
- Finish cooking the pasta over medium heat for less than a minute while stirring it into the sauce.
- Add reserved pasta water if necessary. You can add grated Parmesan cheese or its dairy-free alternative if you like.
- in a hooded oven
- Top with the reserved broccoli florets, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and, optionally, a bit of cheese.
NOTES :
Nutritional information is an estimate for every fourth serving of broccoli pasta, without cheese.
Tip: we recommend cooking the broccoli (and pasta) in 4 liters of water seasoned with 1 ½ ( 30 grams) tablespoons of coarse sea salt or 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of fine sea salt.
Tip: You can make the recipe without oil by omitting the oil and simmering the broccoli with water, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
NUTRITIONAL VALUESNutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 419Calories from Fat 81
- % Daily Value*
- Fat 9g14%
- Saturated Fat 1g6%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat 5g
- Cholesterol 0mg0%
- Potassium 558mg16%
- Carbohydrates 72g24%
- Dietary Fiber 6g25%
- 4g4%
- Protein 14g28%
- Vitamin A 744IU15%
- Vitamin B6 0.3mg15%
- Vitamin C 102mg124%
- Vitamin E 2mg13%
- Vitamin K 120µg114%
- Calcium 75mg8%
- Folate 87µg22%
- Iron 2mg11%
- Manganese 1mg50%
- Magnesium 70mg18%
- Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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