Description
A simple and delicious Broccoli Pasta recipe featuring tender broccoli florets and stems sautéed with garlic, tossed with orecchiette pasta, and finished with creamy Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. This dish is garnished with crunchy pangrattato, extra parmesan, and optional red pepper flakes for a comforting yet fresh Italian-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Broccoli
- 180 grams orecchiette pasta
- 300 grams broccoli, diced into small florets and cubed stems
Flavorings
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 40 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Optional Garnish
- Pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs)
- Extra parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the broccoli: Dice the broccoli into small florets and cubes from the stems. Boil in a large pot of salted water for about 8 minutes or until fork tender.
- Sauté garlic: While broccoli cooks, dice garlic cloves and sauté them in a large pan with olive oil over low heat until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add broccoli to pan: Drain broccoli with a slotted spoon, reserving some cooking water, then add broccoli to the pan along with a ladle of the cooking water. Stir to combine.
- Cook pasta: In the same pot of boiling water, cook pasta until just before fully tender (a few minutes less than package instructions). Drain pasta, reserving some cooking water.
- Combine pasta and broccoli: Add the pasta to the pan with broccoli and garlic. Add freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese along with a ladle of reserved pasta water.
- Finish the sauce: Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to finish cooking pasta to al dente and creating a creamy sauce that coats every strand of pasta.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with pangrattato, extra parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and optional red pepper flakes. Enjoy your creamy, cheesy Broccoli Pasta!
Notes
- Save reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and help bind cheese and pasta together.
- You can substitute orecchiette with other small pasta shapes like penne or fusilli.
- Pangrattato adds a crunchy texture; make it by toasting breadcrumbs in olive oil until golden.
- Add red pepper flakes for a subtle spicy kick, or omit for a milder flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure cheese is suitable for vegetarian diets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
