Servings
Font
Back
Quick and easy Italian pasta with broccoli.
0 from 0 votes

Quick and easy Italian pasta with broccoli.

A delicious classic Italian winter pasta recipe that's a tasty way to get the kids to eat their greens! Perfect as a pasta salad, baked pasta or a quick family meal.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 774 kcal
Course: Main Course, Salad, Lunch
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
  • 1 broccoli washed and cut into quarters, medium size
  • 2-3 garlic peeled and chopped, cloves
  • 7 ounces pancetta cubes or lardons
  • 3 ounces Parmigiano Cheese grated, or Grana cheese
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt for cooking and to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Begin by washing and cutting the broccoli into 4 pieces and cooking it in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes (until al dente). Peel and chop the garlic and cube the pancetta if necessary.
  2. Cook the pancetta cubes in a small frying pan with just a little oil (it has its own fat) until the pieces are browned and crispy! Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside on some kitchen paper to drain the fat. Remove some of the rendered fat from the pan.
  3. When it’s ready, remove the broccoli from the cooking water, but keep the water (you can use a slotted spoon). Bring it to the boil again. If necessary add some more water. 
  4. Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. When ready, drain after saving some of the cooking water.
  5. Cut the cooked broccoli into small florets. Heat the olive oil in the frying pan you used for the pancetta. Add the garlic and broccoli florets and sauté for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Add 1-2 ladles of the pasta cooking water to the broccoli and simmer until it's soft enough to partly mash with a fork. If necessary add more pasta cooking water. Add salt and pepper to taste
  7. When the broccoli is ready add the pancetta and mix well. Then add the cooked pasta and ⅔ of the grated cheese. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the cheese starts melting.
  8. Serve immediately with more grated cheese, or cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • I used penne rigate for this dish but other short pastas work well too. You can use rigatoni, fusilli, tortiglioni and even long pasta such as spaghetti or bucatini.
  • For a vegetarian version omit the pancetta and sprinkle with crushed walnuts.
  • For a gluten free version, use gluten free pasta.
  • For a dairy free version, omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese.
  • If you have leftovers you can bake them in the oven with more grated cheese and some fresh mozzarella! You can also enjoy this broccoli pasta as a pasta salad.
  •  

Nutrition Information

Calories 774kcal (39%) Carbohydrates 86g (29%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 34g (52%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Monounsaturated Fat 16g (80%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 47mg (16%) Sodium 726mg (30%) Potassium 825mg (18%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1132IU (23%) Vitamin C 136mg (151%) Calcium 349mg (35%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 774

% Daily Value*

Calories 774kcal 39%
Carbohydrates 86g 29%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 34g 52%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 16g 80%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 726mg 30%
Potassium 825mg 18%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1132IU 23%
Vitamin C 136mg 151%
Calcium 349mg 35%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.