Broccoli pasta is an easy 30-minute dinner that turns simple, affordable ingredients into a creamy, comforting meal packed with broccoli.
For more pasta with vegetables, try our zucchini pasta, asparagus pasta, or broccoli orzo with white beans.
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Why you’ll love our broccoli pasta!
Broccoli pasta is one of those simple Italian recipes I grew up eating all the time, and honestly, it’s much more common in Italian homes than famous dishes like carbonara or amatriciana. 🥦🇮🇹
The magic is in how the broccoli cooks until tender and creamy, coating the pasta with a simple, flavorful sauce made from everyday ingredients. There’s no heavy cream needed, and the whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes.
Louise and I love it because it makes eating more vegetables feel effortless. Broccoli adds plenty of goodness, while pasta makes the meal satisfying and comforting. It’s a wholesome, Mediterranean-style dinner that fits naturally into a balanced way of eating. 🌿
Best of all, you don’t need anything fancy. A handful of affordable ingredients and one pot of boiling water are enough to make a cozy, nutritious weeknight meal the whole family can enjoy.
P.S: For even more easy Italian pasta recipes, check out our pasta and peas, spaghetti aglio e olio, or pasta alla Norma with eggplant.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Broccoli: fresh broccoli is my favorite here, and you can use the tender stems too. Frozen broccoli works well if that’s what you have.
- Pasta: short shapes like conchiglie, orecchiette, rigatoni, penne, or fusilli are perfect because they catch the creamy broccoli. Whole wheat, chickpea, or lentil pasta work too.
- Extra virgin olive oil: a good olive oil adds richness and is part of what makes such a simple pasta taste so good. Regular olive oil is fine too.
- Garlic: adds plenty of flavor with very little effort. If you don’t tolerate garlic well, simply leave it out or cook a halved clove in the oil and remove it before adding the broccoli.
- Red pepper flakes: optional, but I love the little kick they add. Black pepper is a good alternative if you prefer no heat.
- Parmesan: makes the broccoli extra savory and creamy. Pecorino Romano is delicious too, while feta gives it a tangier flavor. For dairy-free, try nutritional yeast.
How to Make Broccoli Pasta
Step 1. Boil the broccoli
Cut the broccoli into small florets.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes, or until fork-tender.
Keep the cooking water as you’ll use it for the pasta.
Step 2. Make the broccoli sauce
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the grated garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often.
Lift the broccoli out of the pot with a slotted spoon and add it to the skillet.
Add 1 cup of the broccoli cooking water, season with salt, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is very soft.
Mash with a fork for a rustic texture, or use an immersion blender for a smoother, creamy broccoli sauce.
Step 3. Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, cook the short pasta in the same water you used for the broccoli.
Cook it for about 2 minutes less than the package directions.
Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Step 4. Finish the pasta
Add the drained pasta to the broccoli sauce.
Stir in the grated Parmesan and cook for about 1 minute, tossing until the pasta is well coated.
Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to make it creamy and saucy.
Taste, adjust the salt and Parmesan, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Add more protein: Serve with white beans, chickpeas, crispy tofu, grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon for a more substantial meal.
- Pair it with a simple salad: A tomato cucumber salad, arugula salad, or mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette keeps dinner fresh and balanced.
- Make it a family dinner: Serve with warm crusty bread or garlic bread and a big salad. It’s simple, filling, and easy to scale up.
- Bring it to a potluck: Broccoli pasta is easy to make in a larger batch. Keep it slightly saucier than usual, as the pasta absorbs sauce while it sits.
- Make it ahead for lunch: Prepare it the night before and refrigerate. When reheating, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and bring back its creaminess.
- Finish it your way: Add extra Parmesan, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, toasted breadcrumbs, or a drizzle of good olive oil just before serving.
Variations
- Add crispy pancetta: Cook diced pancetta in the skillet until crisp, then set it aside. Make the broccoli sauce in the rendered fat with a little olive oil, then stir the pancetta back in before serving.
- Add Italian sausage: Brown and crumble mild or hot Italian sausage, then add it back to the skillet when you toss the pasta with the broccoli. This makes the dish especially hearty.
- Try it with anchovies: This is a delicious Italian-style variation. Add 4 to 5 anchovy fillets to the olive oil with the grated garlic and red pepper flakes. Let them melt into the oil—they add deep savory flavor without making the pasta taste of fish.
- Keep it meatless: White beans or chickpeas are easy additions if you want something more substantial while keeping the recipe vegetarian.
Tips
- Cook the broccoli until very soft: This isn’t the time for crisp-tender broccoli. It should be soft enough to mash easily and become part of the sauce.
- Cut the florets small: Smaller pieces cook faster and break down more easily, giving you a creamier sauce.
- Don’t throw away the broccoli water: Cook the pasta in the same water. It saves a pot and carries some of that broccoli flavor into the pasta.
- Always reserve pasta water: The starchy water loosens the broccoli and helps the olive oil, Parmesan, and sauce cling to the pasta.
- Add pasta water gradually: Start with a splash and add more only as needed. Too much at once can make the sauce watery.
- Watch the garlic: Grated garlic cooks quickly. Keep the heat moderate and cook just until fragrant; browned garlic can taste bitter.
- Undercook the pasta slightly: Drain it about 2 minutes before it’s done so it can finish cooking in the skillet and absorb the sauce.
- Mash to your preferred texture: A fork gives you a more rustic Italian-style sauce; an immersion blender makes it smoother and creamier.
- Finish the pasta in the skillet: Tossing everything together for the final minute is what turns broccoli, olive oil, cheese, and pasta water into a cohesive sauce.
- Grate your own Parmesan: Freshly grated cheese melts more smoothly than pre-grated cheese and gives the sauce a better texture.
- Don’t let it sit too long: Broccoli pasta is best served right away because the pasta continues absorbing the sauce as it sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can leave out the Parmesan and add a little extra olive oil. Nutritional yeast is also a good dairy-free option.
Absolutely. For an easy weeknight option, stir in shredded rotisserie chicken when you add the pasta to the broccoli sauce, giving it just enough time to warm through.
You can also add browned and crumbled Italian sausage, crispy pancetta, shrimp, white beans, or chickpeas.
Reserve some pasta water and add it gradually as you toss everything together. The starch helps the mashed broccoli, olive oil, and Parmesan coat the pasta.
Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
You can also freeze broccoli pasta, although the pasta will be softer after thawing. Freeze in an airtight container, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat thoroughly.
More Wholesome Pasta Dinners
- Pasta e Ceci
- Lentil Pasta
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Mediterranean Mushroom Pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta
- Lemon Zucchini Orzo
If you try this Broccoli Pasta Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Broccoli Pasta (Easy 6 Ingredients)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli cut into small florets
- 12 ounces short pasta orecchiette, rigatoni, penne, fusilli, or shells
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon salt season the pasta water well, then add more to taste
Instructions
- Boil the broccoli: Cut 1 pound broccoli into small florets. Boil in a large pot of salted water for about 5 minutes, until fork-tender. Keep the cooking water for the pasta.
- Make the broccoli sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves garlic (grated) and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.Transfer the broccoli to the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add 1 cup of broccoli cooking water, ½ teaspoon salt, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Mash with a fork, or blend with an immersion blender for a smoother sauce.
- Cook the pasta: Cook 12 ounces short pasta in the same water as the broccoli for about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Finish the pasta: Add the drained pasta to the broccoli sauce. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese and cook for about 1 minute, tossing until creamy and well coated.Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Taste, adjust the salt and Parmesan, and serve.
Notes
- Broccoli → Frozen broccoli.
- Pasta → Orecchiette, rigatoni, penne, fusilli, whole wheat, chickpea, or lentil pasta.
- Extra virgin olive oil → Regular olive oil.
- Garlic → Omit, or cook a halved clove in the oil and remove it.
- Red pepper flakes → Black pepper, or omit.
- Parmesan → Pecorino Romano, feta, or nutritional yeast for dairy-free.
- Cook broccoli until very soft: It should mash easily into a creamy sauce.
- Cut small florets: They cook faster and break down better.
- Save the broccoli water: Use it to cook the pasta for extra flavor.
- Reserve pasta water: Add it gradually to keep the sauce creamy, not watery.
- Watch the garlic: Cook grated garlic gently just until fragrant.
- Undercook the pasta: Drain it 2 minutes early and finish it in the sauce.
- Choose your texture: Mash with a fork for rustic or blend for extra creamy.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan: It melts more smoothly into the sauce.
- Serve right away: The pasta absorbs the creamy sauce as it sits.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Came out really good. Super healthy and delicious!
Yet another winning recipe! So easy and delicious. I agree that you should really smash the broccoli (even cook in the water a bit longer than fork-tender)
Fantastic, Nicole. I’m happy that you liked it. Thanks very much for your feedback, we appreciate it 🎉
I LOVE your recipes, but I adore the videos. “Easy, right?!” The videos are so well done, upbeat, short, inspiring and just bring a smile to my face while my recipe collection grows. Love you two!
Wonderful, Kimberly!! I’m very excited that you enjoy our food AND videos.
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback here, it means a lot to us! Love,
Louise
Recipe tastes AMAZING however I added a bit more chili powder / pepper flakes and a little bit more salt when I was cooking everything together.
I will say, make sure to smash the broccoli and be cautious as to how much water you add. I wasn’t able to make a sauce (probably because of how much water I added) and that caused the cheese to just clump together. My end result was a soup but it tasted great so I hope next time I make it I achieve the sauce.
Hi Azu,
Thank you for your comment and for your feedback. You are absolutely right, it’s important not to add too much water to the pasta. This would also depend on the water content in your broccoli (if you, for example, used frozen broccoli), you might not need to add pasta water.
I am happy you enjoyed the flavor, hope you feel like making it again 🙂
All the best,
Louise
I don’t usually eat much pasta so had been looking for new recipe ideas and this was lovely! I only had half the amount of broccoli in the fridge and it was definitely towards the end of looking it’s best, but it was still a super tasty meal. Looking forward to making it again with the extra (fresh!) broccoli next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Amazing, Vicki – I’m delighted you enjoyed the pasta (and used up some of your broccoli leftovers!)
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment here. Kindest,
Louise
I feel like a step has been missed here because I made it and it wasn’t saucey at all, it was just soggy broccoli sticking to pasta? It tastes really nice so I’m just a bit disappointed and can’t work out what I’m missing to make it look like what’s been made above?
Hi Nic,
Thank you for your message, I’m sorry to hear.
I wonder if you did the following during cooking:
– Added a ladleful of the reserved pasta cooking water to the broccoli
– Letting the broccoli simmer on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft
– Mashed the broccoli with a fork to make a broccoli sauce
Let me know – the key to this recipe is, as you say, the creamy sauce 🙂
Kindest,
Louise
I have tried a lot of your recipes and they’re AMAZING but this one for some reason just won’t work out.. similar challenge to Nic whereby I’ve ended up with mushy broccoli twice even after following all the advice. I wonder what I’m doing wrong here!
Hi Shaz,
Thank you for your feedback, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well.
It’s hard to tell. The easiest way to make the sauce less mushy is with an immersion blender; blending the cooked broccoli with the cooked garlic, red pepper flakes (STEP 2).
I hope this helps. Let me know! Kindest,
Louise
I might try that! As mentioned, I’ve made a load of your recipes and they’re brilliant. Thank you for the reply 🙂
My dear Mother made this on Friday nights during lent (we couldn’t eat meat then). She was from Sicily & a fantastic cook (mostly vegetarian). Her Papa was a vegetable farmer. This dish is hearty, warming, filling, & DELICIOUS. Now 4 out of 6 of us are vegetarian or vegan. Italian girls learn young how to make good & healthy food. It can also be served room temperature. I used bow ties. Enjoy
Hi Lorraine,
I’m so delighted you were able to enjoy this pasta as a family!
Thank you so much for the serving tips and for taking the time to leave a comment.
Kindest, Louise
Amazing dish and so easy to make, I decided to lighten up the dish and not add the cheese, honestly I felt it was perfect without but I can imagine amazing with the cheese. I will be trying another recipe from this site soon!
Délicieux, facile à faire et économique !
Salut Arthémisia, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, I’m delighted you found the pasta tasty and easy to make! Merci beaucoup, Nico
OMG – this was absolutely delicious! I loved that it was minimum ingredients- I unfortunately didn’t have any cheese so I used nutritional yeast and it was still really good!! Thanks so much for this easy recipe- so happy to have found you on Pinterest!! Keep it up!
Hi Milizza, thank you for your kind comment, I’m really happy you like the pasta, good idea to add nutritional yeast. You’re very welcome, it’s our pleasure – enjoy your weekend! Kindest, Louise
Absolutely delicious. Loved this recipe. Will be making it often. Wonderful flavors that blend so well. Thank you. Also fun to make.
I’m so happy you liked it, Louis!! Thanks for leaving a comment, and have a great day! Cheers, Nico