This Italian Broccoli Pasta is an authentic dish from my Sicilian grandmother. It’s a quick and easy recipe, perfect for any weeknight.

Why You Should Try This Recipe
If you love simple, traditional pasta recipes, this will be right up your alley. It might be different from other broccoli pasta recipes you’ve tried, because the broccoli is cooked until soft and cut very small. The florets should break down into a sauce. This recipe requires very few ingredients and comes together in about a half hour, so it’s simple enough for anyone to prepare.
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli- For this particular recipe, I usually use regular broccoli, however, broccolini or broccoli rabe can be used too. They will require a slightly shorter cook time.
Pasta- I often use rigatoni pasta for this recipe, but you can also use mezze rigatoni, farfalle, orecchiette, fusilli or penne.
Red pepper- Dried or fresh chilis both work well, but you can also omit this ingredient so it’s less spicy.
Cheese- My grandmother always used pecorino romano in her broccoli pasta, but parmigiano reggiano is great too.
Recipe Steps
First, boil the broccoli (1). Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving water in the pot. Boil pasta in the same water (2) and drain it, reserving a cup of pasta cooking water. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli into small pieces (3).
Sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in a large pan (4). Add in chopped broccoli and pasta water (5). Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Add cooked pasta, grated pecorino romano cheese, and more pasta water, as needed (6).
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Make sure to use good quality, extra virgin olive oil. In a dish as simple and basic as this, the quality of the ingredients make a big difference to the final result.
- Cook the pasta slightly short of al dente. I undercook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than al dente, because it will continue to cook in the sauce after it’s boiled.
- Feel free to use your favorite type of pasta, a different type of broccoli and even a small, fresh chili pepper instead of dried red pepper flakes.
You can definitely make pasta and broccoli using frozen broccoli. Seeing as we want very soft pieces of broccoli, the texture of cooked, frozen broccoli would work well. I prefer fresh broccoli for the flavor, but use whatever is most convenient for you.
I suggest boiling the broccoli for 5-7 minutes. We’re looking for fork-tender broccoli, not crisp and crunchy. It’s better to overcook the broccoli than undercook it.
To make this pasta and broccoli vegan, simply omit the cheese. You can also try adding nutritional yeast instead for that cheesy flavor.
Related Recipes
- Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- Bucatini All’Amatriciana with Fresh Tomatoes
- Escarole and Beans
- La Ribollita
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Pasta with Peas and Pancetta
- Penne Alla Vodka
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Italian Broccoli Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Italian Broccoli Pasta is an authentic dish from my Sicilian grandmother. It’s a quick and easy recipe, perfect for any weeknight.
Ingredients
- 1lb broccoli (about 2 small heads)
- 1lb rigatoni pasta (or pasta of choice)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pinches hot red pepper flakes
- ½ cup (2oz) pecorino romano cheese, finely grated
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Boil water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Prep vegetables. While water heats up, cut head of broccoli into large florets. Remove the tough outer layer of the stem and cut into 1-inch chunks. Mince garlic.
- Boil and chop broccoli. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, until fork tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving water in pot. Chop broccoli into ½ inch or smaller pieces.
- Boil pasta. Bring pot of water back to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add pasta and cook until 1-2 minutes short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.
- Cook broccoli sauce. While pasta cooks, place olive oil, garlic and red pepper into a large, room temperature sauté pan. Turn heat to medium. Once garlic sizzles for a few seconds, stir in the chopped broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in about ¼ to ½ cup of pasta water. Bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for about 3-5 minutes so broccoli further softens and breaks down. This pasta is best with very soft broccoli (even softer and more broken down than in my photos is great).
- Finish pasta. Add cooked pasta to broccoli sauce. Toss to combine. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Taste for seasoning. Add more pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed. Serve topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper or more cheese, if desired. Enjoy.
Notes
In my photos, I show preparation of a half portion of this recipe.
I often cook the broccoli even softer and more broken up then seen in the photos.
You can use different types of pasta such as mezze rigatoni, penne, farfalle, fusilli or orecchiette.
You can make this with frozen broccoli, broccolini, or broccoli rabe. Cook time may vary.
You can use a fresh chili pepper instead of dried or omit all together.
Parmigiano reggiano can be substituted for pecorino cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Boil, Saute
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of pasta
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 165mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
So delicious! I made it with ditalini and cut up some left over sausage. Kids loved it too! Super easy weekday meal.
So glad you enjoyed it! I also love making this with sausage 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and very easy to make! I am making it again, tonight! Thank you for this great recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear, Anne Marie! It’s one of my favorite family recipes. Apologize for the late reply as I took a hiatus from the blog, but I’m back now 🙂
Absolutely perfect recipe. Love it! Thank you
Thank you, so much Carla! That really makes my day 🙂
Made this and it’s delish!! I love broccoli. Thank you. Your recipes are at the top of my list
You made my day :). Thanks so much, Debbie!
We grew several broccoli heads and I was unsure of what to do with all of them. Your recipe is perfect. Thank you
Thank you so much, Lynn! That’s so sweeet!
Never has broccoli tasted so good!
Yes, and it’s so easy to make too!
One of my favorite recipe’s so simply and delicious. Thanks for sharing Sabrina!
Thanks so much 🙂
Such a great standby, and so easy. I’m Calabrese, and this is one of my go-to dishes. I think cooking the pasta in the broccoli water is a great idea!
I agree! So happy to hear this is similar to a recipe you make too 🙂