Broccoli Pasta is one of those weeknight dinner recipes that I've learned by heart. Made with just a few simple ingredients that I always have on hand, it's a 20 minute meal that I can always turn to.
Tender broccoli and toasted garlic tossed with pasta and finished with a gentle kick of spice and a sprinkle of cheese: what's not to love? It's a pasta dish that strikes a great balance between decadent and wholesome, because broccoli is the star. What a versatile and delicious vegetable! You can steam it, sauté it, roast it, and even add it to soups. It's one of those powerhouse cruciferous vegetables that packs a fiber and nutrient dense punch, so I feel good about including this in our regular meal rotation.
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Ingredients You Need to Make Broccoli Pasta
- Spaghetti: or other long, thin pasta
- Olive Oil: ideally extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic: fresh, large garlic cloves
- Broccoli: cut into small florets
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese: or Pecorino Romano
Recipe Options
- Add brightness with a generous splash of fresh lemon juice and/or a teaspoon or two of lemon zest.
- Broccoli lover? Increase the amount of broccoli (as I often do).
- Add leftover rotisserie chicken or pan fry diced chicken breast along with the garlic and broccoli in step 2 of the recipe.
- Top with torn leaves of fresh basil to add an herbaceous element to the dish.
- Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes for added depth of flavor.
- Swap in crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese for the parmesan.
More Must Try Pasta Dishes
Serve as a Side to:
How to Make Broccoli Pasta
Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions; reserve 1 ½ cups of cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook and stir garlic, broccoli and kosher salt in 2 tablespoons of hot olive oil until broccoli is tender and garlic is lightly browned, about 5 minutes (see recipe note for softer broccoli option). Add cooked pasta, remaining olive oil, red pepper flakes and ½ cup or more of the reserved pasta water; cook and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled evenly over the top.
Recipe Video
Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spaghetti or other long, thin pasta
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
- 3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 pound broccoli cut into small florets, or more
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions, reserving 1 ½ cups of the cooking water.
- When pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, broccoli and kosher salt; cook and stir until broccoli is tender and garlic is lightly browned, about 5 minutes (see recipe note #1 for softer broccoli). Add cooked pasta, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red pepper flakes and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water (plus more as desired); cook and stir until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top; serve.
Notes
- At this point the broccoli will be crisp-tender. If you prefer a softer broccoli, add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and cover to steam to your desired tenderness (2 to 4 minutes or longer), adding more water if needed. Then add cooked pasta and proceed with recipe.
- If you have leftover pasta, save any remaining cooking water to add to the pan while reheating.
I made this last night, and both me and my husband loved it! My husband told me afterwards that he really didn't expect to like it---but he loved it. I used a little more garlic, added fresh lemon juice, freshly shredded Parmesan and topped it with lime zest. I didn't have any parsley, but I bet that would be nice too. Thanks for this simple and delicious recipe! LA
That's wonderful to hear, Lorraine! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
It was great.
So glad you enjoyed it, Samantha!
Made this and it didn’t turn out good. Despite the much added pasta water and oil, it was very dry and not enjoyable. Only thing I changed was the type of pasta as I used grain free cassava spaghetti
Oh no, Joanna! I haven't tested this recipe with alternative pastas, so I'm not sure how that would effect the dish. I'm sorry this one wasn't what you were hoping for.
This was good. I think I used a little too much pasta so my pasta to Broccoli ratio was a little off. I took your advice and added lemon and lemon zest and sun dried tomatoes for nice pop of color. Also I deglazed the pan with a little white wine.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and made it your own, Tom!
I love easy weeknight dinners like this one! We often just roast broccoli (sometimes with a bit of soy sauce), but I'm always looking for ways to mix it up. I love pasta, so this definitely needs to become a staple in our house, too!
That's great, David! I hope you and your family will love it!
I love delicious and healthy meals like this, that you can turn to in a pinch, or just when you want a delicious dinner. Lovely. 😊 ~Valentina
Thank you, Valentina!
Beautiful spring / summer dish with a simple yet fresh and elegant flavour profile. I definitely love the idea to use to lemon, too.
Thanks so much, Ben!
So fresh and inviting!
Thank you, Angie!
We make something pretty similar on the regular here in our house - main difference is we use roasted garlic. It's quick, easy and the flavors are spot on. I love this recipe, Marissa!
I'll never say no to roasted garlic! Thanks, David.