Pasta with Broccoli

Pasta with Broccoli is a staple in most Italian households. A simple one pot dish with only 5 ingredients to make a delicious meal in less than 30 minutes!

Pasta with Broccoli was a staple at our house growing up and it is now with my family as well. This is by far our favorite way to eat broccoli. And the best part is that this simple broccoli pasta is ready in less than half an hour!

This dish was also a staple in my husband’s family. My mother’s recipe was quite simple: boil pasta, add broccoli, toss with olive oil and top with grated cheese.  However, my husband’s nonna always added a thinly sliced onion sautéed in olive oil and so I’ve incorporated that step in my recipe. The onion, sautéed until golden add lots of extra flavor.

We enjoy broccoli so much that I started growing it in my garden about five years ago and I’ve been quite satisfied with the results. That is except for the year a groundhog ate it all up and basically left behind nothing but the stems.

As you can see, my harvest has been quite plentiful! The wonderful thing about growing broccoli is that when you cut off the heads, they grow back so you can continue to harvest the broccoli all summer long.  Here’s a helpful article with tips on growing your own broccoli.

Step by Step Instructions:

The complete printable recipe including exact quantities is at the bottom of this post, but for now here are step by step photos to guide you through this recipe.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, wash the broccoli and separate into florets.  Peel the tough layer from the stems using a vegetable peeler or sharp pairing knife and chop into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Thinly slice an onion and sauté in olive oil until soft and golden, about 7 minutes.  

When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add pasta of your choice.  After 4-5 minutes, toss in the broccoli.  Cook until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender. Drain and stir in the sautéed onion.  Drizzle with extra olive oil, if necessary, to ensure the pasta and broccoli are coated with olive oil.  Serve hot with grated Parmigiano cheese.

Tips and suggestions: 

• In this recipe, the broccoli is cooked until tender but still has some bite to it.  If you prefer softer broccoli that breaks apart and becomes almost pesto like, add to the pot at the same time as the pasta.
• This recipe works well with frozen broccoli as well.  When you toss in the frozen broccoli florets, place the lid on the pot to bring the water back to a boiling point as quickly as possible.
• Add a few crushed red pepper flakes to the sautéed onion for a spicier dish.
• If you prefer the flavor of garlic, a couple of cloves of minced garlic may be substituted for the sliced onion. 
• Our preferred pasta with broccoli is penne rigate, but you can use just about any type of dried pasta that you like. 
• You can also prepare this dish with fresh pasta such as homemade cavatelli. Fresh pasta cooks in just a few minutes, therefore add the broccoli to the boiling water first and add the pasta about 5 minutes later.

This is your go-to recipe when you need to get dinner on the table fast and want something healthy for your family. If you try making Pasta with Broccoli, please share your photos with me and tag me with #mangiabedda or @mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram. Buon appetito!

Here are a few other favorite pasta recipes that are loaded with vegetables:

• Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower
• Sicilian Cucuzza with Pasta
• Pasta alla Norma
• Pasta with Fava Beans and Peas
• Tagliarini with Beans 
• Pasta with Oven Fried Zucchini
• Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
• Swiss Chard and White Bean Pasta
• Spaghetti with Green Beans