Simple to make and delicious, this Easy Broccoli Pasta makes a great meal any night of the week, and is sure to become a favorite in your house.
This Easy Broccoli Pasta is made with fresh broccoli spears, angel hair pasta, garlic, butter, and cream, then topped with Parmesan cheese. It's creamy and rich, with the added bonus of healthy broccoli. Broccoli is full of Vitamins K and C, as well as folate, potassium, and fiber. This can help with a variety of ailments, including high cholesterol.
As simple as this meal is to make, you can easily put it together on a busy weeknight. Most of the ingredients are probably in your refrigerator or pantry, making this dish even more convenient.
Main Ingredients
- Broccoli. I suggest staying away from frozen broccoli. Fresh is best, especially since it's a star ingredient.
- Pasta. Although I used Angel Hair pasta, any pasta cut could be used in this dish.
- Olive oil.
- Butter.
- Garlic. And lots of it!
- Parmesan cheese.
- Cream. While this ingredient is optional, it is recommended. It provides a nice creaminess to the sauce. Vegans can use coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Salt and Red Pepper Flakes.
How to Make Broccoli Pasta
1. Cook the angel hair pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
2. Take the broccoli and chop the florets off the stalk. Then, slice the stalks lengthwise into small sticks and finely dice them.
3. In a large cooking pot, add the olive oil, butter, red pepper flake, and garlic. Stir the ingredients together as the butter melts, and then pour in the vegetable broth.
4. Add the broccoli florets and stalks, and then the salt. Make sure the broccoli is fully submerged in the liquid. Cook on the stove top for 20 minutes, until it's tender.
5. Add the cream, Parmesan cheese, and angel hair pasta. Stir everything together and then let it rest for 10 minutes.
6. Using tongs, give the pasta another stir. Then, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately with another sprinkle of Parmesan.
Helpful Tips & Tricks
Cook the pasta until al dente. This is best because the pasta will spend some time sitting in the liquid from the broccoli so that it can absorb the flavors.
Use fresh broccoli. Fresh is best because frozen broccoli just doesn't have the same texture.
Cook broccoli until desired doneness. The broccoli is cooked in a separate pot, so you can adjust and cook it until it is either as hard or as soft as you like it. I prefer mine to be completely soft, while others may like a little crunch.
The cream is optional. This pasta tastes great with or without cream, but I like it better with the cream. Coconut milk can be used instead if desired.
Add protein, if desired. While this is a great meal as is, you can add some grilled chicken or shrimp on top. It pairs really great.
How to Store and Reheat
This Broccoli Pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. To reheat it, place the pasta in a microwave-safe dish and heat for a few minutes, checking to make sure the sauce covers the pasta to avoid drying out. If you use the oven, place it is an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil. Then, warm it for about 20 minutes at 350ºF.
How to Serve this Broccoli Pasta
With Fresh Salad on the side. Could be with a simple house salad, Caesar salad, tomato salad, or any vegetable salad.
With the protein of your choice. Steak, seafood, chicken, and tofu all pair really well with this dish.
With Garlic Bread. Serve it the Italian way, with a slice of crusty garlic bread on the side.
This Easy Broccoli Pasta is a delicious and convenient meal that is so easy to make that you'll find yourself returning to it over and over. Yummy and satisfying, it makes a great dinner.
The rich and creamy flavors are sure to be a hit, even among kids who aren't big veggie eaters. You can feel good about adding a little more green into their diets with this dish. I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does.
More Tasty Pasta Recipes:
- Easy Angel Hair Pasta
- One-Pot Pasta with Spinach
- Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta
- Salmon Pasta with Spinach
- Pasta with Spinach Sauce
- Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Video Tutorial
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Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ lb. uncooked spaghetti
- ¾ lb. broccoli florets with stems
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes or to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan
Instructions
- Cook the angel hair pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
- Take the broccoli and chop the florets off the stalk. Then, slice the stalks lengthwise into small sticks and finely dice them.
- In a large cooking pot, add the olive oil, butter, red pepper flake, and garlic. Stir the ingredients together as the butter melts, and then pour in the vegetable broth.
- Add the broccoli florets and stalks, and then the salt. Make sure the broccoli is fully submerged in the liquid. Cook on the stove top for 20 minutes, until it’s tender.
- Add the cream, Parmesan cheese, and angel hair pasta. Stir everything together and then let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs, give the pasta another stir. Then, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately with another sprinkle of Parmesan.
This was delicious. We both loved it. Will definitely be making again 👍
Thank you so much, Jonny!
This was SOOOO good! Thank you for an awesome recipe. My whole family loved it!
Thank you so much, Jen!
random question, but what is the brand of the pot you use? I am in the market for some new stove top pots 🙂
Hi Adele! I use Lodge Enamel Cast Iron Casserole. It's really a great pot and I use it often.
Family loved it! Didn’t have vegetable broth so I used chicken instead. Came out great.
Thank you so much, Deezy!
Made this tonight and it paired well with a nice Orvietto. Family loved it!
Yay! Thank you for reporting back, Kim!