One-Pot 30-Minute Broccoli Pasta

This one-pot Broccoli Pasta recipe is the quickest and easy 30 minutes meat-free family dinner that all the family loves.

It’s also a vegan-friendly pasta dinner with a dairy-free option and is easy to make gluten-free as well.

I love to prepare vegetarian pasta dinners for my family because it’s always easy to make and everyone loves them.

Broccoli and pasta are two low-cost ingredients that are perfect for creating cheap healthy family dinners.

So let’s see how you can make this broccoli pasta recipe in less than 30 minutes.

How To Make Broccoli Pasta

Broccoli pasta is a one-bowl pasta recipe where broccoli is cooked at the same time as your pasta, so you don’t have to go through many steps and cleaning of pans.

Here the pasta is cooked in a  creamy dairy-free sauce with delicious pieces of broccoli and ready in 30 minutes with minimal washing.

Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need:

• Uncooked Pasta – I recommend a shape like penne, shell, or bow pasta. They fit the pan easily rather than Fettuccine or Spaghetti.
• Fresh Broccoli – cut into tiny florets
• Shallots or onion
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Cloves
• Vegetable Broth
• Almond Milk – I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but you can also use coconut milk, soy milk, or cashew milk.
• Salt and Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• Lemon Juice
• Cream – Heavy cream, canned coconut cream, or cashew cream.
• Parmesan Cheese or nutritional yeast. This adds delicious cheese flavors without using any dairy. Otherwise, you can use Parmesan cheese if you prefer to use real cheese.

Cooking The Pasta

This is a one-bowl recipe which means that the pasta is cooked directly in the pasta sauce, so you don’t have two steps to follow.

First, in a large wide skillet – make sure it’s large enough to fit all the pasta – warm olive oil.

Add shallots or onion and cook until fragrant and translucent which takes 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in broccoli florets, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Cook until the broccolis are half-cooked, crispy, and have a vibrant green color which takes 3 to 4 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

Cooking The Pasta

Add pasta, vegetable stock, and unsweetened almond milk.

Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook, stirring once in a while to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Cook on light heat until the pasta is cooked to your liking.

Depending on how you like your pasta, their cooking time varies. Cook them until all the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta.

For al-dente pasta, it takes 20 minutes, or 25 minutes for softer pasta.

Just before the pasta is fully cooked, add the broccoli, cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine with the pasta sauce.

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serving Pasta

You can serve broccoli pasta with some delicious add-ons to enhance the flavor of the dish including:

• Lemon Zest
• Lemon Juice
• Red Pepper Flakes

Storage Instructions

You can store leftover broccoli pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Or you can also freeze the remaining pasta in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge the day before and rewarm in the microwave or over medium heat in a non-stick saucepan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most popular answers to your questions about this easy broccoli pasta recipe.

Can I Use Low-Carb Pasta?

Absolutely! But watch out, because some low-carb pasta made from edamame beans, for example, cooks way faster and absorbs less liquid.

You will have to either adjust the recipe liquid amount, starting with less and increasing if needed to avoid mushy pasta.

Can I Use Frozen Broccoli?

Yes, you can! But frozen broccoli won’t crisp as well as fresh broccoli. They also require less cooking, or they turn into puree.

How Can I Add Protein To The Dish?

The best way to increase the protein content of this recipe is to use protein pasta. Some wheat pasta varieties are higher in protein.

You can also stir in some of your favorite canned, drained beans in the sauce like cooked chickpeas or cooked lentils.

If you eat meat, stir in cooked shredded rotisserie chicken in the sauce to make chicken broccoli pasta.

More Pasta Recipes

Below are some more popular pasta recipes for you to try.

Smoked Mac and Cheese

Steak Alfredo

Zucchini Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Keto Spaghetti Squash Alfredo-Style

Keto Spaghetti and Meatballs

Zucchini Noodles With Pesto

Have you tried this broccoli pasta recipe? Share a comment or review below.

Broccoli Pasta

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This one-pot Broccoli Pasta recipe is an easy 20-minute meat-free family dinner that the whole family loves.

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 40 mins

Yield: 8 servings (1 1/2 cup)

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition

Net Carbs 11.2g

Fat 7.9g

Protein 4.3g

Calories 135.6kcal

5 from 86 votes

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Want My Kitchen Equipment?

Non-Stick Skillet

Measuring Cups Set

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• ▢ 1 Shallots note 1
• ▢ 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• ▢ 1 ½ cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt add more if needed
• ▢ 8 oz Penne Pasta note 2
• ▢ 2 Broccoli Heads cut into small florets
• ▢ ⅓ cup Heavy Cream note 3
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ▢ ½ cup Grated Parmesan note 4

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Instructions

• In a large, wide skillet (it must fit the cooked pasta) warm olive oil over medium heat.
• Stir in minced shallots and garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in fresh broccoli florets, and Italian seasoning and cook on low-medium heat until vibrant green – about 2 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the ingredients from the skillet and set aside in a bowl at room temperature.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat (no need to clean it), and add vegetable broth and almond milk. Add the dry pasta to the liquid, making sure you push down the pasta to entirely submerged them in the liquid.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cook, stirring once in a while, on light simmer, covered until the liquid is absorbed by the pasta – about 20-35 minutes. If the liquid gets absorbed too quickly and the pasta is not cooked yet, add more stock or water until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in cream, lemon juice, cheese, or nutritional yeast, and cooked broccoli.
• Cook uncovered, until warm and creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve with grated parmesan, fresh basil, or a drizzle of lemon juice or olive oil.

Storage

• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Freeze up to months and thaw in the fridge the day before.

Note 1:Shallots can be replaced with chopped onions of the white or brown variety.

Note 2: You can use buckwheat pasta or quinoa pasta as a gluten-free option.

Note 3: Coconut cream, cashew cream, or soy cream are dairy-free vegan options.

Note 4: Cheese can be replaced with 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast to make vegan broccoli pasta.

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Nutrition Facts

Broccoli Pasta

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 135.6 Calories from Fat 71

% Daily Value*

Fat 7.9g12%

Saturated Fat 3.5g22%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.9g

Cholesterol 16.6mg6%

Sodium 555.2mg24%

Potassium 60.5mg2%

Carbohydrates 12.1g4%

Fiber 0.9g4%

Sugar 1.4g2%

Protein 4.3g9%

Net Carbs 11.2g

Vitamin A 342.5IU7%

Vitamin B12 0.1µg2%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Vitamin D 0.2µg1%

Calcium 125.4mg13%

Iron 0.5mg3%

Magnesium 9.7mg2%

Zinc 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.