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Lunch Dinner 30 Minutes or Less Pasta
4.8 from 6 votes

Broccoli Pasta

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By: Joanna Cismaru •2/5/23 11 Comments

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pin for broccoli pasta.

This 8-ingredient quick and easy healthy Broccoli Pasta is so good it’s going to blow your mind! Fresh broccoli is sautéed in rich extra virgin olive oil along with fresh garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes before being smashed into a delicious creamy sauce! It’s then tossed together with perfectly cooked pasta and some tasty parmesan cheese! 

freshly made broccoli pasta garnished with parmesan cheese in a white serving bowl.
Table of Contents Open
  • Healthy Broccoli Pasta Recipe
  • Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Pasta
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Broccoli Pasta
    • Cook The Broccoli
    • Start The Sauce
    • Cook The Pasta
    • Finish The Dish
    • Garnish And Serve
  • Can I Puree The Broccoli Sauce?
  • Why Is My Pasta Dry?
  • Expert Tips
  • Storage
  • Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try
  • Broccoli Pasta
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Healthy Broccoli Pasta Recipe

I’m in love with this dish! It’s healthy, quick to make, and totally delicious. This broccoli pasta is really something special! In some ways, it looks similar to my Arugula Walnut Pesto Pasta, but the flavor profile is totally different and the sauce is not a pesto at all. Yet, it’s got that same creamy texture and beautiful vibrant green color.

However, I know creamy broccoli sauce seems crazy right!?! Yet, it’s seriously good and oh-so easy to make. In fact, after I made it I wondered why it took me so long to realize that mashed-up sauteed broccoli with a bit of garlic and parmesan cheese would make an incredible pasta sauce. I also add a pinch of red pepper flakes too for a bit of heat, but if you’re not into spice you can leave them out. 

And this creamy broccoli pasta recipe is really versatile. By design, it’s a totally vegetarian meal and super yummy. But like most pasta recipes, it’s also really tasty topped with some Grilled Chicken or Oven Baked Shrimp. So feel free to add any type of protein you like. It’s even good served hot or cold! 

a serving of broccoli pasta in a white bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Pasta

  • Quick And Easy! With almost no prep involved and no fancy equipment needed, this simple 8-ingredient vegetarian pasta recipe comes together in a little under 30 minutes.
  • Healthy Pasta! Fresh broccoli, which is full of nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium makes the base of the sauce that coats this delicious pasta.
  • Leftovers For Lunch! This broccoli pasta is good hot or cold, so it’s one of those dishes where leftovers are welcomed, and making a little bit too much is a good thing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed for broccoli pasta.
  • Broccoli – You need fresh broccoli for this recipe. But frozen will work if that is all you’ve got on hand.
  • Olive Oil – Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
  • Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves are always best. Store-bought jarred garlic will work but it can sometimes have a bitter taste.
  • Red Pepper Flakes – Used to add a bit of spice. However, you can omit this ingredient or add even more for spicier pasta.
  • Salt – Used to season the pasta cooking water and the dish.
  • Black Pepper – Use fresh ground black pepper if you have it on hand. 
  • Pasta – I used orecchiette pasta. Another great choice is penne pasta. But any type of pasta can be used, including gluten-free.
  • Parmesan Cheese – Used to make the sauce cheesy and garnish the dish at the end.

How To Make Broccoli Pasta

This healthy pasta recipe is super simple with very little prep time! It’s nearly impossible to mess up. The broccoli is cooked, smashed into a sauce, and then tossed with pasta!

Cook The Broccoli

process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

To begin, you first need to cook the broccoli. So bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Next, add the broccoli florets and cook them for 5 minutes. Then when it’s done, reserve half a cup of the broccoli cooking water, but don’t discard the rest of the water! Just keep it in the pot. You will use the cooking water again to cook the pasta.

Start The Sauce

process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

Next, transfer the cooked broccoli to a large skillet along with the extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and the reserved broccoli water. Now, cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the broccoli is super soft. Then mash the broccoli with the back of a spoon to create a creamy sauce.

Cook The Pasta

process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

While the broccoli mixture is cooking you can begin cooking the pasta. First, bring the broccoli cooking water in the pot back to a boil. Then cook the pasta according to the package directions or until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.

Finish The Dish

process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the pan with the broccoli mash. Then add the grated parmesan cheese and stir everything together. At this point, if the sauce is too thick just add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin it out. Finally, taste the dish and add more salt and black pepper if needed.

Garnish And Serve

process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

After the pasta has been seasoned and is the recipe complete, transfer the broccoli pasta to your serving dish of choice. Then garnish it with some more freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with some soft home-baked Garlic Knots.

freshly made broccoli pasta with parmesan cheese in a skillet.

Can I Puree The Broccoli Sauce?

Of course, you can! You shouldn’t need to, but if you want a completely smooth sauce like Pesto, then go for it! A basic food processor or immersion blender will do the trick. Yet, if you still want the sauce to have a few chunks you should just pulse it.

Why Is My Pasta Dry?

Sometimes you can have a little more pasta than needed and not quite enough sauce, which can make pasta dishes dry. This is why I suggest that you only add about 80% of the cooked pasta to the broccoli sauce and then add more if you’ve got enough sauce. But you can easily fix dry pasta by adding a little more of the reserved pasta water, vegetable broth, or even heavy cream.  

freshly made broccoli pasta garnished with parmesan cheese in a white serving bowl.

Expert Tips

  1. Salt your broccoli water. Add plenty of salt to the broccoli cooking water. This helps to infuse both the broccoli and pasta with flavor as they absorb some of the water.
  2. Cook to al dente. Overcooked pasta gets mushy and will fall apart when you toss it together with the mashed broccoli sauce. The pasta needs to be tender but still firm to the bite. 
  3. Save some of the water. The reserved broccoli water can be used for reheating the leftovers too by adding some moisture to the pasta and keeping it flavorful.

Storage

Leftover broccoli pasta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle it with a bit of water to loosen it up a bit. Then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat. Sadly, leftover pasta does not tend to freeze well.

a serving of broccoli pasta in a white bowl.

Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try

  • Pasta Pomodoro
  • Pasta Puttanesca
  • Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Aglio e Olio
  • Cacio e Pepe
  • Chicken Spaghetti
  • Orecchiette With Sausage And Broccoli

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a serving of broccoli pasta in a white bowl.
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4.84 from 6 votes

Broccoli Pasta

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Rate Recipe
This 8-ingredient quick and easy healthy Broccoli Pasta is so good it’s going to blow your mind! Fresh broccoli is sautéed in rich extra virgin olive oil along with fresh garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes before being smashed into a delicious creamy sauce! It’s then tossed together with perfectly cooked pasta and some tasty parmesan cheese! 
4

Ingredients

  • 1 head broccoli (large, cut into small florets)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 12 ounces pasta (such as penne)
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer cooked broccoli to a bowl. Reserve ½ cup of broccoli water.
    process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.
  • Add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cooked broccoli and the reserved broccoli water to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes until you can easily mash the broccoli with a spoon.
    process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.
  • In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente.
    process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.
  • Drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the broccoli mash along with the parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
    process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed and serve garnished with additional parmesan cheese.
    process shots showing how to make broccoli pasta.

Video

Notes

  1. Salt your broccoli water. Add plenty of salt to the broccoli cooking water. This helps to infuse both the broccoli and pasta with flavor as they absorb some of the water.
  2. Cook to al dente. Overcooked pasta gets mushy and will fall apart when you toss it together with the mashed broccoli sauce. The pasta needs to be tender but still firm to the bite. 
  3. Save some of the water. The reserved broccoli water can be used for reheating the leftovers too by adding some moisture to the pasta and keeping it flavorful.
  4. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle it with a bit of water to loosen it up a bit. Then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 531kcal (27%)Carbohydrates: 75g (25%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 17mg (6%)Sodium: 458mg (20%)Potassium: 705mg (20%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 1179IU (24%)Vitamin C: 136mg (165%)Calcium: 390mg (39%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a serving of broccoli pasta in a white bowl.

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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11 Comments
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PLN
PLN
Posted: 12 days ago

5 stars
This recipe couldn’t be simpler or more delicious! Didn’t make any additions/changes/deletions at all.

0
Reply
E T
E T
Posted: 1 month ago

4 stars
Quick, easy, and satisfying! Thank you!

0
Reply
Gerald M Calise
Gerald M Calise
Posted: 1 month ago

5 stars
I have cooked this dish for 50 years. Before that my father his father my mother s mother all have prepared this dish and it has always been great

0
Reply
Valdee
Valdee
Posted: 1 month ago

5 stars
This is such a simple but yet delicious recipe. Made it and loved it. Definitely a keeper. Thank you Jo!

0
Reply
Molly Anne saint Claire
Molly Anne saint Claire
Posted: 1 month ago

Absolutely delicious 😋 Thank you.

0
Reply
Maureen
Maureen
Posted: 1 month ago

5 stars
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous. I had to have a second helping! It came together so easily. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks Jo!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Maureen
Posted: 1 month ago

My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!

0
Reply
Racine
Racine
Posted: 1 month ago

There appears to be an error in step 2.
Add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and the reserved broccoli water to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes until you can easily mash the broccoli with a spoon.
Shouldn’t it read the cooked broccoli not the water?

1
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Racine
Posted: 1 month ago

The cooked broccoli was actually added to the skillet in step 1 but I fixed the instructions to match the pictures and video. Sorry about the confusion.

1
Reply
Nancy
Nancy
Posted: 1 month ago

JO IS FANTASTIC!!! HER RECIPES ARE THE BEST!!! EVERY DISH TURNS OUT DELICIOUS. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED SO MANY HELPFUL COOKING TIPS FROM HER. THANKS FOR YOUR FABULOUS FOOD, JO!!! GOD BLESS!!!

1
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Nancy
Posted: 1 month ago

Thanks, Nancy! Your comment made my day!

0
Reply

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