This authentic broccoli pasta recipe, called pasta con broccoli, comes straight from Tuscany. Learn how to make this simple, delicious vegetarian meal- one of our most popular orecchiette recipes on the blog! Video.

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R. Ingersoll
After taking a week-long cooking class in Tuscany my good friend Mark brought back this traditional Tuscan recipe and made it for his wife. Truth be told, when my friend Sonna first described it to me- how the broccoli was cooked down for a long time, I had some reservations.
The thought of mushy broccoli seemed really odd, but as she continued describing how luscious and creamy the broccoli sauce became once it cooked down, and how the orecchiette pasta cradled it so lovingly, my interest was piqued.
So broccoli pasta became our dinner last night, and I must say, it was delicious!
Watch how to make pasta con broccoli,

ORECCHIETTE BROCCOLI IngredienTs
- Broccoli Florets – you can use fresh broccoli or frozen!
- Orecchiette pasta- translates to “little ear”. An ear-shaped pasta that literally cradles the sauce. Feel free to use other pasta shapes.
- Extra virgin olive Oil– adds rich creamy flavor to the sauce
- Chili flakes – for a milder flavor try Aleppo or Urfa Biber.
- Anchovy paste- for a vegan option, sub white miso paste (or sub 1-2 mashed whole anchovies)
- Veggie broth or chicken broth
- Pecorino cheese– freshly grated is BEST here as pre-grated often has caking agents that prevent the sauce from getting creamy. Sub parmesan, FYI, pecorino is saltier.
- Lemon Zest– for a little brightness.
- Baby Spinach– just a little handful to give the sauce more vibrant color.
- Optional Garnishes: truffle oil, fresh basil ribbons, toasted pine nuts, toasted bread crumbs, or olives.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Why You’ll Love Pasta con broccoli
- It is packed with nutrition! Lots of broccoli in the sauce along with garlic, lemon and chili flakes. Good clean ingredients!
- Easy to make! Steam broccoli, sauté aromatics, combine (blend if a smooth sauce is desired), and serve over cooked pasta with pecorino.
- Tasty and Creamy! It has a velvety mouth feel without tons of added fat. Kids like this sauce too!
How to make Broccoli Pasta
Step one: Steam the broccoli, cook the pasta, and save the hot, salted pasta water.
TIP: Throw the broccoli in a strainer in the boiling pasta water to save time and the extra pot.
I used a whole 12-ounce bag of broccoli florets (about 6 cups, packed) cut into smaller pieces and then steamed until tender.

Step two: Saute garlic, chili flakes and shallots, in olive oil , when fragrant, add the steamed broccoli and veggie broth, cooking until it falls apart, melts, and cooks down into a sauce (you can help break it apart with a metal spatula).
Take your time here, so the sauce is not grainy, you want the broccoli really soft.

Step Three: Create depth. Stir in pecorino cheese, a little anchovie paste if you like, or even miso paste. Add lemon zest. Taste, adjust salt and pepper and get the sauce to taste how you like, loosening the sauce with hot pasta water.
Step Four: Use your immersion blender here, right in the pan ( or add this to a blender). To add more vibrant color, add a handful of baby spinach and blend this in! (Or place the sauce in your blender).

Step Five: Add the cooked pasta and again taste for salt. Add a little warm pasta water if you like it looser or saucier.

Step Six: Garnish with lots of chili flakes, lemon zest and more grated pecorino cheese. Serve it up in your favorite pasta bowl.
Storage
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of water if needed, or microwave.
What to Serve With Orecchiette Broccoli
Serve with a leafy green salad and crusty bread!
pasta con broccoli FAQS
Broccoli that has been steamed and blended (optional) with broth, garlic, lemon zest and chili flakes.
Orecchiette translates to “little ear”. An ear-shaped pasta that literally cradles the sauce.
Lemon, pecorino and parmesan cheese, pine nuts, walnuts, garlic, onion, shallots, basil, bread crumbs, and olives.

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce should be on your next menu plan- it’s full of great broccoli nutrients and flavor, your kids will love this too!
More Recipes You May Like
- Steamed Broccoli with Garlic, Chili & Lemon Zest
- Best Pasta Recipes
- Vegan Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
- Grilled Broccolini
- Creamy Broccoli Pesto Soup
- Perfect Roasted Broccoli
- Easy Dinner Ideas
xoxo
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Orecchiette Broccoli Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: vegetarian main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Orecchiette Broccoli Sauce (pasta con broccoli) a simple vegetarian pasta dish hailing from Tuscany that is easy to make, healthy and oh so delicious!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets- cut or broken into very small florets about equal size (about 6 cups packed)
- 8 ounces short pasta- orecchiette pasta, penne, rigatoni, etc
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (don’t skimp here!)
- 1 fat shallot, diced -or half a white or yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves- rough chopped
- generous pinch chili flakes ( Aleppo or Urfa biber is nice here)
- generous pinch salt and pepper, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste ( or sub white miso paste)
- 2 cups veggie broth or chicken broth
- 1–2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh grated pecorino cheese
- small handful baby spinach (or arugula), chopped for more vibrant color
- Optional Garnish: pecorino cheese, lemon zest, truffle oil, fresh basil ribbons, toasted pine nuts, toasted bread crumbs, capers, truffle oil or kalamata olives– all optional.
Instructions
- Steam small broccoli florets until very tender (easily pierced with a fork) then chop and set aside.
- Cook the pasta in 8 cups water with 1 tablespoon salt (measure), Save a cup of hot pasta water when you drain.
- In a large pan, saute the shallot and garlic and chili flakes in the olive oil, over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the miso paste (or anchovy), then add steamed broccoli, salt, pepper and the broth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and break apart the broccoli with a metal spatula into tiny pieces. As it cooks and softens it will get easier to break apart. You want the broccoli to melt down into a “sauce ” – take your time here, adding more liquid as needed.
- Stir in the lemon zest and pecorino cheese. Continue simmering gently on low heat until half of the liquid evaporates and it becomes the consistency of a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender right in the saucepan and add a small handful of chopped baby spinach and blend until smooth. Using the full 3 tablespoons of olive oil will help make the sauce “creamy”. (Alternatively, place the sauce in a blender with spinach).
- Combine. Add the pasta to the sauce and add more hot pasta water as needed to keep it ” saucy.”
- Taste once more for salt, adjust, adding more along with pepper, chili flakes. If you want more richness add another splash of olive oil (or pat of butter- my husband loves this) or more pecorino if you like.
- Divide among pasta bowls and top with any of the garnishes you like!
Notes
Pecorino. Pre-shredded pecorino or parmesan often have “caking agents” in them- that prevent cheese from fully incorporating into a sauce- resulting in unpleasant clumping. The cheese should just melt into the sauce. Always check the label.- some stores offer grated pecorino that they grate on-site without these caking agents. Also, pecorino is much saltier than parmesan, so if using parmesan, you may need more salt.
We adjusted the recipe to make this more vibrant in color. Adding the spinach is not traditional but does add a beautiful vibrance to the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: with the addition of ¾ cup parmesan
- Calories: 351
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 518.3 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.2 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 15.6 g
- Cholesterol: 9.7 mg
I never leave reviews but I loveeee this dish!!!! What a clever way to make some healthy greens taste so creamy! And I didn’t even use cheese for a healthier meal. This was my first time making a pasta sauce and you made it very easy thank you!
Yay Emma! So glad gave it a try. Appreciate your review and rating. 🙂
I found the texture of the sauce unpleasant (reminds me of baby food) and the anchovy paste was yucky in this!
Sorry this wasn’t your cup of tea. 🙂