Broccoli Pasta

4.91 from 11 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli pasta

Servings:

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

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

US Customary - Metric

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.
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.
In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente.
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.
Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed and serve garnished with additional parmesan cheese.

Video

Notes

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.
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.
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.
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