Quick Broccoli Pasta

Name: Quick Broccoli Pasta
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 140 g linguine; 0.5 head broccoli (chopped in to small pieces); 0.5 lemon ((juice and zest only)); 100 ml reduced fat creme fraiche; 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper; 6 sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped); 40 g grated Parmesan; Red chilli flakes for serving (optional)

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Our Quick Broccoli Pasta is ready in under 15 minutes and a great way to get some more green vegetables in your diet. A simple light and creamy sauce, with plenty of flavour - it's a good of example of just how nutritious comfort food can be.

A pasta dish containing broccoli, tomatoes and cheese

I think we all know how good broccoli is for us, but it can get a bit boring just having it boiled as a side dish. Why not give it the recognition that it deserves and make it the star of the dish. This pasta dish is SO simple, with a creamy sauce with a hint of lemon for freshness, stirred through pasta and broccoli with some sun dried tomato for a burst of flavour.

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Why should you try it?
Step by step
Health benefits of broccoli
Other vegetables to add
What to serve this with
FAQs
Extra tips
More broccoli recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

A delicious way to eat more broccoli
Ready in less than 15 minuted
Easy to adapt
Can be made vegan

Step by step

One: Add the linguine to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Two: 4 minutes before the pasta has finished cooking, add the broccoli.

Three: Drain the linguine and broccoli (reserving 50ml of pasta water) and put it back in the pan and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Pasta, broccoli, chopped tomatoes, cream, lemon zest and seasoning all in a stainless steel pan

Health benefits of broccoli

Superfood is a bit of a buzz food that is thrown around, but there is no denying that broccoli is nutrient dense. It's a great source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and K, as well as iron, zinc and fibre, which can support digestive health.

Did you know that broccoli is also a good source of protein, although an incomplete one.

Other vegetables to add

The broccoli really is the star of this dish, but that doesn't mean that you can't add more vegetables. I would recommending keeping to greens, so about 5 minutes before the pasta has finished cooking, add some spinach and peas.

Pasta, broccoli and chopped tomatoes topped with shavings of Parmesan

What to serve this with

This pasta dish is super healthy, and really does have it all. But you can always serve it with something extra for a more filling meal. Pasta and garlic bread is a classic combo. You can easily make your own by slicing up a french stick and spreading it with a mixture of butter, garlic and herbs and putting it in the oven for 10 minutes.

A big green salad would be a good choice for a side with this too. We like a mixture of greens (romaine, spinach and butterhead), some cherry tomatoes and a honey and mustard dressing.

When serving, a sprinkle of red chilli flakes, some chopped fresh parsley, extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil just set the dish off in my opinion.

A plate of broccoli pasta next to some herbs and a bulb of garlic

FAQs

What pasta is best?

We used linguine, however you could use tagliatelle or spaghetti. I think these are the best to use, as the creamy sauce really clings to it.
But, really, you could use any pasta. This is what makes this such a great budget friendly cupboard raid meal, as you can just use whatever you already have in.

Can I make this vegan?

Simply swap the creme fraiche for a vegan version like Oatly and use a vegan Italian hard cheese alternative. Also note that Parmesan isn't vegetarian, so if you want to make this dish vegetarian then use an alternative. Most supermarket own brand Italian hard cheese is not only cheaper, but also vegetarian, which is a bonus.

How to store broccoli pasta

You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 2 days. You can also freeze it, but to be totally honest, it's not the best pasta dish to freeze, as it will be a little dry when reheating. But, you could add some extra creme fraiche to the pan when reheating (whether kept in the fridge or freezer)

Extra tips

You don't have to use Parmesan in this recipe - you can use any grated cheese that melts well. To make this vegetarian, make sure you use a vegetarian alternative to Parmesan.
Make sure you reserve some of the pasta water to put back in the pan, as this helps to make the sauce, without having to add extra oil.
Add a kick of heat to this pasta dish with a sprinkling of red chilli flakes when serving.
If you are reheating, add some water and a little extra creme fraiche to the pan so it isn't too dry.
You could swap the sun-dried tomatoes for olives (or use them both) and instead of topping with more Parmesan, use crumbles feta.
Some sunflower seeds add a nice crunch when serving.
You can save yourself some time by using frozen broccoli.
Don't overcook your broccoli, as it should still have some bite to it.
If you don't have creme fraiche, you could use cream cheese instead.

More broccoli recipes

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