This Italian-inspired dish is easy to make in less than 30 minutes. It’s the perfect everyday lunch or dinner recipe for the whole family. With spaghetti aglio olio, pasta al pomodoro, and pasta alla Norma is one of our reader’s favorite pasta recipes. You can make it with fresh or frozen broccoli, your favorite store-bought Italian pasta, homemade orecchiette, or cavatelli. Because of its simplicity, creaminess, and irresistible taste, this recipe went viral on our Instagram. People loved it, and we are sure you’ll love it too!
Pasta
We recommend a short and hollow Italian pasta type. Conchiglie, orecchiette, rigatoni, penne, rotini, or fusilli are perfect here because they grab onto the creamy broccoli sauce.
Broccoli
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets.
Olive oil
We recommend extra virgin olive oil. Substitute regular olive oil.
Garlic
Fresh garlic enhances the flavor of the broccoli. Our tip is to grate it finely, slice it thinly, or press it with a garlic press.
Red pepper flakes
Pasta with broccoli should be a little spicy if you like that. A pinch of red pepper flakes helps do just that. Substitute cayenne pepper, chili powder, or thinly sliced red chilis.
Salt and pepper
You’ll need sea salt or kosher salt to season the pasta cooking water and the sauce. Black pepper is optional.
Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese is a match made in heaven with broccoli sauce. You can add grated parmesan to the sauce and shaved parmesan for garnishing. If you are vegan, you can make pasta with broccoli without cheese or use a non-dairy cheese alternative.
Basil
We recommend adding fresh basil leaves to garnish the dish. Boil them in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes or until fork tender. Tip: we recommend cooking the broccoli in 1 gallon (3.5 liters) of water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Take the broccoli out of the water with a slotted spoon (do not discard the water) and add them to the skillet. Add one cup of the cooking water and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes or until very tender. Mash the broccoli with a fork or quickly blend with an immersion blender to make a creamy sauce.
Stir in the pasta
Cook the pasta as per package instructions minus 2 minutes. Use the same water you used when cooking the broccoli. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the sauce. Add grated parmesan and finish cooking the pasta for about a minute while stirring it in the sauce. Add some reserved pasta water if necessary. Serve with basil leaves and shaved parmesan on top.
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