Description
A comforting and easy one-pot creamy broccoli pasta recipe that combines tender pasta with fresh broccoli florets in a rich, cheesy sauce made from butter, cream, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Broccoli
- 1 box medium shells pasta
- 1.5 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
Sauce and Flavorings
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and add the minced garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes soft and fragrant.
- Add Liquids and Cook Pasta: Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, and season the mixture with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then stir in the pasta. Cover with a lid and cook the pasta over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Cook Broccoli with Pasta: Stir in the chopped broccoli florets, cover the pot again, and cook both the pasta and broccoli together for an additional 4 minutes or until tender.
- Add Cheese and Thicken Sauce: Stir in the Parmesan cheese, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the sauce thicken for about 2-3 minutes with the lid on.
- Final Seasoning and Serve: Taste and re-season the pasta with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if needed. Give everything a big stir to combine, then serve warm and enjoy your creamy broccoli pasta.
Notes
- Make sure to chop the broccoli florets small to ensure even cooking in the pot.
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian variant, but the recipe as is is not vegetarian due to chicken broth.
- Adjust seasoning carefully before serving as the Parmesan cheese adds saltiness.
- Using medium shell pasta helps hold the creamy sauce well, but other short pasta shapes can be used.
- This recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: one pot pasta, creamy broccoli pasta, easy pasta recipe, weeknight dinner, cheesy pasta
