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I’ve made this Broccoli Pasta so many times, I know the recipe by heart. In just 20 minutes you can have al dente pasta and crisp-tender broccoli tossed in a light, garlicky olive oil sauce. A sprinkle of Parmesan adds nutty richness, and red pepper flakes give it a gentle kick.
While the ingredients are simple – just pasta, fresh broccoli, olive oil, and garlic – the technique brings out the best in each one. The broccoli cooks to the perfect texture while the garlic gets golden and fragrant in olive oil. Add a touch of lemon if you have it, but this pasta is delicious either way. It’s one of those recipes that shows how a few good ingredients make the best meals.
We made this last night. We love pasta and we love broccoli. So easy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
cheryl
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Broccoli Pasta
- Spaghetti: You can use any long, thin pasta that pairs well with a light sauce.
- Olive Oil: Since olive oil is essential to this sauce, I like to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: Garlic is also essential to this dish, so I aim for fresh, plump cloves.
- Broccoli: I look for uniformly dark green crowns with tight, compact buds and steer clear of ones that show yellowing or browning.
- Red Pepper Flakes: You can increase or decrease the amount to change the heat level.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese: I love using a good-quality aged parmesan and grating it myself. However, pre-grated or shredded parmesan works if you’re short on time. I’ve also used Pecorino Romano, which is made with sheep’s milk instead of cow’s milk and is a little softer and saltier than parmesan.
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.
Broccoli is a wonderfully nutritious, versatile vegetable I almost always keep stocked in my refrigerator. It’s more durable than many fresh vegetables that wilt or otherwise go bad, which is why this dish is one of my go-to busy weeknight favorites. You could even use frozen broccoli in a pinch. I hope this recipe earns itself onto your list of reliable, satisfying, fast meals like it has for me!
Serve as a Side to:
More Must Try Pasta Dishes
How to Make Broccoli Pasta
Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions; reserve 1 1/2 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 1/2 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.
Broccoli Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spaghetti or other long, thin pasta
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 pound broccoli cut into small florets, or more
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 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 1/2 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 1/2 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious made to recipe. Next time and there will be one we will add more OO and garlic and not add Pepper flakes. We will also use fresh parm and grate ourselves. Very quick cooking due to using angle hair pasta and drinking wine while we cooked. What a great quick easy meal for someone who always has garlic, broccoli , pasta and olive oil in the house. thank you
So glad you enjoyed this, Denise!
I added mushrooms and fresh tomato it was wonderful !
I’m so glad you enjoyed this and added your own twist, Destiny!
Great recipe. Broccoli 🥦 and spaghetti. Going to try. I love both garlic and Broccoli. And who doesn’t like spaghetti. It’s easy and fast.
Thanks, Donna! I think you’ll love this one.
I love your recipes (they are awesome)
aww…thank you, Dorothy. That’s so nice to hear.
We made this last night. We love pasta and we love broccoli. So easy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
My pleasure, Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed this.
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.