Description
This light and healthy broccoli pasta is a delicious and easy dish that combines tender broccoli with perfectly cooked pasta in a flavorful Parmesan cheese sauce. It’s a simple yet satisfying meal that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Broccoli:
- 1 large broccoli head, trimmed into small pieces
Broccoli Mash:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Pasta:
- 12 ounces shell pasta
Additional:
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Broccoli – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl and reserve ½ cup of the broccoli cooking water.
- Prepare the Broccoli Mash – In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, cooked broccoli, and reserved broccoli water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes until the broccoli is soft enough to mash.
- Cook the Pasta – Cook pasta in the same pot with broccoli water until al dente. Drain the pasta.
- Combine Pasta with Broccoli Mash – Transfer drained pasta to the skillet with broccoli mash. Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water.
- Season and Serve – Taste the dish and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: broccoli pasta, healthy pasta recipe, vegetarian pasta, easy weeknight meal
