In just 20 minutes, this easy pasta dinner is ready to serve! We all need a quick meal in our back pocket, am I right?! This broccoli pasta is uncomplicated and simple to make at home—it combines lemon juice and zest, chopped broccoli florets, fragrant minced garlic, your favorite short dried pasta, plus olive oil. That’s it! The magic? It’s in the ingredient ratios.
Every time I ask what kind of recipes you want, I get a bunch of requests for quick and easy pasta dinner suggestions. This recipe checks all of those boxes while sneaking some green veggies into your pasta night! My pasta with lemon and broccoli is truly the perfect quick pasta dinner idea. It uses simple ingredients, but combined, they pack a really tasty punch.
Watch how to make it
Olive Oil Pasta Sauce
Since the olive oil is the main ingredient in the sauce (other than broccoli, of course!), I suggest going with the nicest olive oil you can find. I promise you’ll taste a difference. It will feel like an authentic Italian restaurant Broccoli Pasta!
I absolutely love a vegetarian pasta dish and I have several that come to mind. This Kale and Lemon Spaghetti is another light and fresh dish that’s super easy to make. Also this Vegetarian Pasta with with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil is just as simple as it is delicious. And how can I forget this vegetable pasta with artichokes and mushrooms?! It’s divine.
(If you love cooking at home like I do, be sure to check out my guide on the best pans & cookware for your kitchen!).
Ingredients in Broccoli Pasta
The list is short but delicious! I love how easy it is to keep these ingredients on hand, especially since this is a favorite that gets requested regularly! You’ll be cooking Broccoli Pasta with…
- Your favorite kind of short pasta
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemon (of course!)
- Olive oil (splurge on the good stuff. I promise it’s worth it!)
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan for serving
How to Cook Broccoli for Pasta
I’m all about using the least amount of dishes possible. In this case, we are using two pots/pans. One to cook the pasta and one for the sauce. To keep things simple you will cook the pasta in the same water that you use to boil the broccoli!
Start by boiling the water and adding salt. Then add the broccoli and boil until it’s tender. This gives the broccoli a chance to soften before chopping it up and using it in the sauce. Remove the broccoli (but don’t drain the water) and use the same water the cook the noodles!
Can you boil broccoli with pasta?
The pasta takes longer to cook than the broccoli, so if you want to cook them together, add the pasta first, then add the broccoli in the last few minutes of cooking time.
More Pasta Recipes
- Easy Instant Pot Pasta
- Lemony Pasta with Kale & Parmesan
- Butternut Squash Skillet Pasta
- Parmesan Chicken Baked Ziti
- Turkey Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
Food photography by Ashley Cuoco
Easy 20 Minute Lemon-Broccoli Pasta Dinner
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2–3 people 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
In just 20 minutes, this easy pasta dinner is ready to serve! We all need a quick meal in our back pocket, am I right?! This broccoli pasta is uncomplicated and simple to make at home—it combines lemon juice and zest, chopped broccoli florets, fragrant minced garlic, your favorite short dried pasta, plus olive oil. That’s it! The magic? It’s in the ingredient ratios.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets (or 1 head)
- ½ pound short pasta
- ¼ cup good olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, (minced)
- Salt and Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Juice of half a lemon
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add about 1 tablespoon of salt and return to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for about 2-3 minutes until just tender. Remove broccoli from pot and set aside. Do not drain water. Use the same water to cook the pasta.
- Bring water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package, about 10 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, make the broccoli sauce. Roughly chop the broccoli and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium/high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped broccoli, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reserve ¼ cup pasta water and add the pasta directly into the pan, top with grated Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine. If sauce needs to be thinned out, add some pasta water. Serve immediately!
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Comments
Monica
Made this last night and it was amazing!!! Made extra sauce cause why not!!!! You’re recipes are amazing!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!! easy to follow and especially being a new mom and trying to have a hot meal on the table that doesn’t take the entire day!
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
Thank you so much Monica! SO glad you enjoyed!!
Ang Bar
Thank you, this was a hit in my house among various ages and preferences and easy to do.
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
Whoohoo!! So glad you all enjoyed it
Anna
So quick and so easy, we loved it. I doubled the broccoli sauce and added cherry tomatoes to it. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
I always love doubling the sauce, it’s the best part! Thanks for leaving a review!
LaQuetha
Delicious. I add roasted red peppers. It was so good. Thank you for sharing delicious recipes.
Katy
I made this tonight and it was so yummy! I will definitely make this again.
Sarah Wilker
New family favorite! Even the 2 year old asked for seconds who usually doesn’t come never anything green recently! Had to use limes instead of lemon as living in Colombia but worked great! Thanks!
★★★★★
Alissa
This was so delicious and easy. Thank you for sharing. I did switch the Parmesan for queso fresco because it’s what I had on hand.
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
So glad you enjoyed!