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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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
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Orecchiette Broccoli Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- 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
In the recipe notes- there are ways to enhance the flavors- hopefully you saw these?
Sorry Laura- it’s not for everyone. I do like this better with Pecorino vs. parmesan, and freshly grated cheese is important here.
Loved it!
So happy to hear!
This was delicious! I decided to add about 3/4 of the broccoli sauce to a blender, for a smoother texture, and loved it. Thanks!
Nice Bea!
Oh dear. Sorry this didn’t work for you Anna.
This is a favorite in our home! We top it with a bunch of lemon zest, chili flakes and oil cured olives. Thank you for another great recipe!
Yay thanks Jen!
That was truly delicious and after trying another online broccoli pasta dish – very satisfying. Key additions were the miso and chilli flakes.
Great to hear!
First time I made this with Orzo, soooo good. I always help myself to a second serving!
Nice Amy!
This is the only vegetable dish my 3yo eats. Gratz.
Great to hear!
This was delicious, I love anchovies, doubled the recipe added the lemon zest and the juice of the lemon. Since I have all guys in my house I added the chicken breast of a costco rotisserie chicken, some fresh basil and sun deied tomatoes. It was out of this world and the guys all liked it.
Sounds amazing Lisa!
Love this recipe. It’s become a family favorite. I skip the miso but otherwise follow the recipe. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for this different take on broccoli pasta.
Great to hear Holly!
Delicious and easy. Made recipe “as is” and another one of your “winners”. Made it as a side dish with baked tilapia. You are definitely one of our favorite chefs and every recipe I’ve made of yours, has been a TEN! Thanks for all your hard work creating these recipes. Happy Holidays.
Thanks so much Paula- glad you enjoyed this!
Added chicken broth and red peppers and a splash of pesto. Love this
Thanks Yana! Yes, make it your own!
I made this (with miso as it was what I had) didn’t fancy pasta so added a bit more water and blended to make a yummy thick soup
Awesome Cesca!
this recipe looks so good, can we substitute Miso to something else please?
The miso is optional- anchovy paste is good here.
This was really great! The urfa biber provides just the right amount of kick without being too spicy for the kids. We added pecorino and it really balanced out the zest. My 10 year old wants to try this again, but with shrimp.
Awesome Andrea!
Try cooking the broccoli with the pasta, put it in the salted water 5 minutes before the pasta is ready. Also add butter to the oil for a nutty taste. Also some chilli. Been doing this for years…so yum!
Thanks so much Paulette- great tips!
This is honestly my most favourite recipe ever, I make it all the time!
Thanks Tash, great to hear!
I ran across this recipe while searching ramdomly for something vegetarian to cook a few days ago. After making sure I had all the ingredients, I made it last night. It was absolutely delicious, worthy of 5 stars. I had to adapt the recipe to accomodate a low-FODMAP diet, so I cut out the fresh garlic and shallot and used a garlic-infused olive oil instead. I opted for anchovies (I fudged a little bit here), toasted pine nuts, Kalamata olives, and added small cocktail tomatoes because we love tomatoes. I added a dry cheese I had on hand and the whole dish was PERFECT! I also copied a few Mexican recipes from this site this morning, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks Violet -glad you liked it and were able to adapt to your needs!
its yummy
its very yummy
If you add a pinch of baking soda to the simmering broccoli it will retain it’s color much better. Learned this trick from a cooking show on TV and have used it with asparagus, green beans, kale as well as broccoli.
I emphasize that you use a pinch, maybe a scant 1/4 tsp for the whole head.
This is BRILLIANT Linda! I will have to try this. Learn something new everyday. Love it, thanks!
thank you for this! I made it tonight and it’s super tasty, but the broccoli looked so sad 🙂
Nicely explained. Clearly written instructions.
Thanks Roger. 😉
Delicious, nutritious, and easy to make! Made for great leftovers, too!
Thanks Dan!
Hi Sylvia delicious cant stop making it thank you
So glad you like this Mandy!
Wow! Such a great recipe to use broccoli as a pasta sauce. So healthy and I noted some comments that after cooking the steamed broccoli in the sauce to break it up the bright green color was diminished. I added a “pop” of green of a cup of frozen peas to the sauce for about a minute to upped the green theme.
Love it Jody!