Home

Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

If you read any of my recipes, you know that I am all about comfort food and simple, easy dishes. This is just about as simple and tasty as they come. They key to this dish is using an excellent extra-virgin olive oil and fresh garlic. The broccoli and pasta just soak up the flavor. My tots gobbled this up for dinner tonight!

Ready

  • 2 large cloves of garlic crushed
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • ½ lb of pasta
  • Salt

Set

  • Frying pan
  • Garlic press
  • Pans for boiling water
  • Collander
  • Tongs

Go

  1. Cut up your head of broccoli in small trees.
  2. Boil some water in a pan, blanche the broccoli and strain in a collander. Put aside.
  3. Cook your pasta and strain the excess water.
  4. Heat a few tbsps of olive oil in frying pan. Sautee the crushed garlic.
  5. Sautee the blanched broccoli.
  6. Season broccoli and garlic with salt.
  7. Throw in the cooked pasta. Use tongs to toss pasta with broccoli in pan and make sure to coat pasta liberally with olive oil and garlic.
  8. Serve while hot. Makes four servings.

What you should know

This dish serves up well with cauliflower too. If you wish for some heat, sprinkle pasta with some red pepper flakes. Chopped italian parsley is a nice garnish and finishing flavor for the dish as well.

Look for more? Try these easy pasta dishes.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

The kids will love this one. Quick question. You say “blanche” the broccoli… how long do you keep it in the water? Also, I have heard that vegetables carry on cooking after you take them out of the water. Should I time it so that it goes straight from the water into the oil, or is it important to let it dry out a little? Thanks.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

I usually will blanche the broccoli for 4-5 minutes. After you’ve strained it, let cool and dry. The broccoli will continue to cook a bit when you sautee it with the garlic and pasta. Enjoy!

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

This is a great easy pasta dish. My kids love it.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

Works for me! Nice to see kids that age enjoying healthy food, too.

For those concerned about the garlic, just use a little less and/or add a little fresh parsley (counters black garlic breath and helps digestion).

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

Great tip. I never knew that fresh parsley was a good foil to bad garlic breath.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

Easy and delish! The perfect quick dish for when I am in a hurry and need to pull from the fridge.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli




Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

Terrific recipe. My kids love it and they have no idea it is “healthy” for them.

Re: Pasta with garlic, olive oil and broccoli

My children hate healthier foods like green vegetable dishes, but they love this recipe.