Pasta with Broccoli and Garlic is a one-pot meal ready in 45 minutes! The veggies are cooked down until they coat the pasta in a delicious broccoli sauce with olive oil and Parmesan. You'll love this authentic Italian recipe from Naples!
For the love of broccoli, you need to make this! My family's pasta with broccoli recipe is one of our favorites.
This one-pot dish from Naples is similar to pasta with zucchini, authentic pasta e fagioli, pasta e ceci (chickpeas) and pasta e piselli.
Like them, this Italian broccoli pasta is a cross between soup and a pasta dish.
It's made with just enough water to cook the macaroni without draining it. By the time you ladle out the servings, most of the liquid will be absorbed.
But the broccoli gets cooked down into a broccoli sauce accented with garlic, olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. The starchy sauce will cling to the pasta, coating it with garlicky goodness.
Delizioso!
Recipe ingredients
Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli or frozen. If you're using frozen broccoli, you don't have to thaw it first.
Pasta: I usually make rigatoni with broccoli, but you can use any medium-cut pasta such as ziti, penne, rotini, farfalle, etc. that takes about 12 minutes to cook.
Don't use cavatelli here, because it only needs 3-4 minutes to cook. That's not enough time to allow the water to evaporate and to let the broccoli cook down into a sauce for this one-pot method. You'll end up with a watery dish that doesn't have enough flavor.
Garlic: Use fresh, sliced garlic. It adds a delicious, savory flavor to the broccoli pasta.
Parmesan: I recommend using fresh, finely grated Parmesan so it melts nicely in the broccoli sauce.
How to make pasta with broccoli
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Cut the broccoli
If starting with a bunch of fresh broccoli, you'll need to cut off the thick stalks (and discard them) so you have florets with 2-3 inches of the stems attached (see the ingredients photo.)
Slice any thicker stems lengthwise in half.
Cook the broccoli and pasta
While there's a time and place for crisp-tender broccoli, this is not that time nor that place!
- Sauté the garlic in oil and add the broccoli. Cook the broccoli until it's soft, or at least tender.
- Add the measured water and bring the pan to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta.
- Cook the pasta until it's al dente. Don't drain it. Stir in the Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Recipe tips
- The longer you cook the broccoli initially, the more it will later almost dissolve into a broccoli sauce that will coat the pasta, as pictured in the pot above.
- If you prefer firmer broccoli, you can sauté it until it's tender, but not soft. It will look more like the photo below after it's boiled with the pasta.
- Make sure not to add too much water to the pot. You need to measure it according to the recipe, or else the dish will turn out watery.
- To ensure the pasta cooks evenly, stir the pot (affiliate link) often.
What to serve with it
Pasta and broccoli works well followed by fish such as Pan-Seared Cod, Grilled Cod or Baked Pesto Salmon. You also could serve it with Pesto Chicken Breasts or Breaded Chicken Cutlets.
Of course, you can serve it as a main dish in these beautiful pasta bowls (affiliate link). And don't forget the Italian loaf of bread!
Frequently asked questions
It's best to eat this dish immediately because the leftovers will get dry. But you can store this Parmesan broccoli pasta in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Don't freeze it, or the pasta will become mushy.
You can reheat pasta with broccoli in the microwave. Drizzle on some olive oil first, so it won't be dry. Then cover it with wax paper.
You also could reheat this in a covered pan on the stove. Add olive oil or butter first.
More Italian pasta dishes
- Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage
- Pasta Aglio e Olio
- Walnut Sauce for Pasta
- Chicken Pastina Soup
- Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta
- Pecorino Pasta with Pepper
P.S. If you love broccoli, don't miss my Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic or this Broccoli au Gratin!
Watch the video with volume on to learn how to make Pasta with Broccoli and please leave a comment and rating if you make this!
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Pasta with Broccoli and Garlic
Video
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli (or 1 pound frozen broccoli florets)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled & sliced)
- ¼ cup olive oil (plus extra to drizzle on each serving)
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (plus extra for serving)
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅓ teaspoon salt (divided use)
- 5 ½ cups warm water (divided use)
- 1 pound medium pasta (Such as rigatoni or penne. See notes.)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping each serving)
Instructions
- Rinse the broccoli and pat it dry. Cut off the thick stalks (and discard them) so that you have florets with 2-3 inches of the stems attached. Slice any thicker stems lengthwise in half. Slice your garlic into thin rounds.
- Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pasta pot on medium-high. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Lower the heat to medium. Noting the time, add broccoli, pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir. As soon as the oil evaporates, add ½ cup water (see notes) and stir.
- Cover the pot and let the broccoli cook until it is soft, stirring occasionally. (See notes.) It should take about 25 minutes from the time you added the broccoli to the pot.
- When the broccoli is soft, add 5 cups of water to the pot. Add in ⅓ teaspoon salt and give it a quick stir. Cover the pan and increase the heat to high. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until it is al dente.
- When the pasta is cooked, do not drain it. Turn off the heat and add in ⅓ cup Parmesan, stirring to combine.
- Serve with extra Parmesan, a drizzle of oil and red pepper flakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Notes
- Don't use cavatelli here, because it only needs 3-4 minutes to cook. That's not enough time to allow the water to evaporate and to let the broccoli cook down into a sauce for this one-pot method. You'll end up with a watery dish that doesn't have enough flavor.
- Cooking the broccoli until it's soft helps create a broccoli sauce that coats the pasta. If you prefer the broccoli a bit firmer, sauté it until it's tender, then proceed to add the water to the pot.
- To reduce the amount of olive oil needed, I incorporated the step of adding ½ cup of water to the pot with the broccoli to allow it to cook until soft without burning. If you prefer to use more olive oil instead, just eliminate the ½ cup of water and add enough extra oil to cook the broccoli until it's soft.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from my Mom and Nonna's version. Originally published as "Pasta e Broccoli" on November 13, 2014, revised in 2019 and now updated with additional photos and information.
Ruth says
Thanks. I’m trying it tonight. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Ruth says
Hi Mamma C:
right before we were told to shelter in place i panicked and bought an enormous bag of frozen broccoli. I need to start using this before it gets freezer burned. if i use frozen rather than fresh broccoli, should i cut the initial cooking time from 25 min down? I think that the broccoli in this bag is already par boiled.
Thanks,
Ruth
Mamma C says
Hi Ruth - I'm just seeing your message now. It went to my spam folder for some reason. The broccoli just needs to be cooked until it's soft. It probably would take less time if it's parboiled.
Cathy says
Just finished making and eating it. It is very good and less messy than how I normally make it. How do you heat up the leftovers?
Mamma C says
Hi Cathy - I'm so glad you enjoyed the broccoli pasta! I usually just drizzle on some olive oil and heat the leftovers in the microwave. You could use a skillet on the stove if you prefer to fry the pasta.
Cathy says
Thanks we just heated it up and it was wonderful. So much easier than how I make it. I love the one pot cooking. Very yummy. If you are thinking about trying this just do it.
Mamma C says
Hi Cathy - Oh, good. I'm glad that worked out for you. I love one-pot meals too!
Cathy says
I also tried your pasta with peas. It is also very good and a bit different than mine. It's great to try new recipes.
Mamma C says
Hi Cathy - I'm so happy you're enjoying the one-pot pasta dishes! You might also like Pasta e Fagioli and Pasta with Zucchini.
Barb says
My daughter loves to order pasta broccoli when we are out. I thought I’d try to make the dish at home. My search for 5 stars was fruitless until I stumbled on this recipe. It was well deserved! Not a noodle left!! I read an earlier review that said they should have added more water. I used rigatoni so I added a cup and a half more... you probably don’t need to add more since it was abundant. But the family drank the sauce after the pasta was gone like it was gravy.. not a drop left. I’m not a fan of mushy broccoli, so I added more broccoli after the pasta finished cooking el Dante and let it sit for 3 minutes before I served. It was cooked perfect for my liking. Great meal on a cold Buffalo night, but could see serving in the summer and adding some shrimp in the final stages of cooking. Thank you for sharing! I have bookmarked for future cooking!
Mamma C says
Hi Barb - I'm so glad you loved the pasta with broccoli! Thanks for sharing your experience. Adding shrimp sounds good!
Millie says
I made this tonight, it was delish! I added about 1 cup of chopped red onion since I had some left over, right after the garlic's 2 minutes in Step 2. I was out of penne-type pasta so I used (gluten-free) spaghetti that I broke in half, which was nice enough but next time I'd prefer to use GF penne. I needed to add additional water while the broccoli cooked, and could have used more than 5 cups for the pasta, which I had to stir like mad to keep it from sticking to itself and to the pot, although in both of those steps I turned the heat down quite a bit. Maybe my stove runs hot, or maybe because I was using an 8-quart pot (don't have a 6-quart) so there was more heated surface. But as I said, it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Mamma C says
Hi Millie - I'm so glad you enjoyed this Pasta with Broccoli! It's possible that using the GF broken spaghetti instead of penne or rigatoni would require a bit more water.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
We are confirmed broccoli lovers and I really like the idea of the broccoli making the sauce in this dish. Can't wait to try this!
Mamma C says
Hi Amanda - I hope you love this as much as we do!
michele h peterson says
I love the idea of cooking the broccoli until its very soft until it's like a sauce. Brilliant and a delicious way to switch it up!
Mamma C says
Hi Michele - It's so good this way! Thanks!
Jenni LeBaron says
What a fantastic and simple meatless Monday dish. We are big fans of broccoli at my house so this would go over lovely!
Mamma C says
It's perfect for meatless Monday! Thanks, Jenni.
Tina says
My husband and I are in the mood for something new and we both love pasta. This definitely fits the bill. Especially since I also love broccoli. Thanks for another great recipe!
Mamma C says
You're welcome, Tina. Enjoy!
Annie+@+ciaochowbambina says
Oh man...I love the idea of melty broccoli enveloping garlicky pasta! This dish is a winner(!) and I love that last picture with the steam coming up. Yum!
Mamma C says
Thanks, Annie. I'm lucky I was able to get a couple of "OK" shots, because I was not about to let my pasta get cold! 🙂