Creamy Broccoli Pasta – Recipe

Creamy Broccoli Pasta (How to Boil Broccoli)

Learn the best techniques for boiling broccoli to make it
tender, flavorful, and ideal for family-friendly recipes like vegetarian pasta
with cheese sauce in this recipe for creamy broccoli pasta.

Why We Love This Recipe for Broccoli Pasta

When should broccoli be boiled? How long does broccoli take
to boil? With today’s simple broccoli pasta recipe with top tips, I hope to
answer these two queries. In my humble opinion, if you’re serving broccoli as a
side dish by itself, you should never boil it. Simply put, there are too many
other quick and simple ways to cook broccoli that result in a far superior
flavour and texture. Consider roasting, grilling, or air-frying broccoli as
alternatives to boiling it.

However, there is one circumstance in which boiling broccoli
is sensible—that circumstance is when you’re simultaneously boiling pasta and
intend to utilise the broccoli in a pasta meal. This wonderful creamy broccoli
pasta can be made quickly by simultaneously boiling the pasta and broccoli.

If you insist on boiling broccoli by itself because you’re a
rebel, read on for our best advice on how to prepare it correctly.

How Long Should Broccoli Be Boiling For?

Let’s first go through the fundamentals of boiling broccoli
until it is absolutely soft.

Bring a big saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil over
high heat. Broccoli should now be chopped into florets. The florets should all
be roughly 1 x 2 inches in size to cook the most evenly. Lower the broccoli
florets into the boiling water after it has reached a rolling boil.

After giving the broccoli one or two quick stirs, let it
boil. Drain the broccoli’s water using a colander. Give the broccoli another
one to two minutes to steam and dry. then offer.

Pro tip: Broccoli that has been properly boiled should be
bright and green, with somewhat hard but not raw stems.

WHERE CAN BOILED BROCCOLI BE USED IN CUISINE?

Healthy side dish options include gently cooked broccoli.
You can serve it with almost any major dishes and proteins you prefer!

Easy Cheesy and Creamy Broccoli Pasta

 If you want to take my
word for it, broccoli pasta is the finest way to use cooked broccoli. This
week, I encourage you to prepare the delectable Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Pasta
recipe. Seriously, this meal is a weekday dinner miracle because it is ready to
serve in less than 30 minutes!

It’s incredibly easy to make and flavorful. The cheese sauce
isn’t your standard mac and cheese sauce or a thick cheese sauce for broccoli.
Instead, the broccoli’s flavour is nicely accentuated by a light, tangy cream
cheese and cheddar cheese sauce.

Ingredients Required

• • Trottole is a type of little dried pasta that works well,
  but elbow macaroni or pasta shells also work well.
• • Broccoli florets – Select broccoli that has a firm stalk
  and a fluffy head, as well as fresh, vibrant green colour.
• • Unsalted butter.
• • Minced garlic.
• • Pasta water: hold onto it until the pasta cooks, then
  drain.
• • Lemon, zest removed.
• • Low-fat or regular cream cheese.
• • Shredded cheddar cheese.
• • Seasonings like salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

How to Prepare Broccoli and Cheese in Pasta

Put a big sauce pan full of water on high heat. To the
water, add 1 tablespoon of salt. up to a boil.

Trim the broccoli florets, mince the garlic, and zest a
lemon, being careful to just scrape off the bright yellow skin and discard the
bitter whites. Keep the remaining lemon for future use.

Put the pasta in the pot and stir once the water is boiling.
As directed on the packaging, cook the pasta. Stir the broccoli florets into
the boiling water with the pasta when it is one to two minutes away from being
done.

Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. After that, scoop 2
cups of the pasta’s cooking water out of the pot to add in the sauce. Through a
colander, drain the noodles and boiled broccoli.

Restart the stove, turning down the heat to medium. Add the
minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. Stirring often to
prevent burning, sauté the garlic for a full minute. Next, add a cup of pasta
water. Add the cream cheese and lemon zest. Stir the cream cheese into the
pasta water until it has melted. Then include the crumbled cheddar cheese, 1/2
teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

The sauce should be smooth and the cheese should be
completely melted.

To the cheese sauce, add the cooked pasta and broccoli. Stir
gently to combine. If necessary, add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water
to the sauce to thin it out. Taste, then add more salt or pepper as desired.

Suggestions for Serving

Broccoli spaghetti is a fantastic vegetarian main meal or
hearty side dish that is rich, creamy, and cheesy.

Take advantage of this as a side dish when eating grilled
chicken, crispy baked buffalo chicken breast, crispy baked chicken cutlets, or
air-fried chicken nuggets.

We advise serving the spaghetti with a crisp green salad and
crusty homemade garlic bread to make it the star of a quick evening meal.

Or consume the full bowl by yourself! Really, it’s just one
dish with a starch or carb, a vegetable, and a protein, which is everything you
could possibly want in a meal.

Pro tip: Before making the cheese sauce, sauté some tiny
pieces of chicken or prawns with the garlic to increase the protein content!

Questions and Answers

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU BOIL COCOLI?

Here, less is more. The florets will be more soft and
flavorful if they are not overcooked. Broccoli should only be cooked for one to
two minutes after being added to boiling water.

CAN CHICKEN BE ADDED TO THE RECIPE FOR BROCCOLI PASTA?

Definitely! Use leftover chicken from other recipes, such as
our Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, in this one. One cup of cooked, chopped
chicken will be added to the cheese sauce after the pasta and broccoli have
been added.

Alternately, you may add little pieces of raw chicken to the
sautéed garlic and cook it for two to three minutes before adding the cheese
sauce!

LEFTOVERS: HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?

Before transferring the dish to an airtight container, let
it cool fully. Refrigerate for up to three days. Be careful not to overcook the
broccoli when quickly warming it in the microwave.

CAN CHEESY BROCCOLI PASTA BE FREEZED?

You can, indeed! However, keep in mind that after reheating,
the texture and flavour will vary slightly.

Transfer leftovers from room temperature to an airtight
freezer container before freezing; for added security, we advise wrapping the
container in a layer of foil. Keep frozen for up to two months.

The spaghetti can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight
and then heated in the microwave. Alternatively, bake the pasta for 15-20
minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven if it is in a freezer to oven dish. If
necessary, add a little milk to help the sauce come together.

Creamy Broccoli Pasta + Broccoli Boiling Instructions

Find out the best methods for boiling broccoli to make it
delicious, soft, and ideal for family-friendly dishes like broccoli spaghetti
with cheese sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of little dried pasta (Trotolle was
used).

• Broccoli florets, 4 cups.

• Butter, two teaspoons.

• 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves.

• 1 to 2 cups of pasta water.

• Zest from 1 lemon.

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and 4
ounces of cream cheese are the ingredients.

Instructions.

1. Put a big sauce pan full of water on high heat. To the
water, add 1 tablespoon of salt. up to a boil.

2. In the meantime, cut the broccoli florets into smaller
pieces, mince the garlic, and zest one lemon, being careful to just scrape off
the bright yellow peel and discard the bitter whites. Keep the remaining lemon
for future use.

3. Add the pasta to the pot and stir once the water is
boiling. As directed on the packaging, cook the pasta. Stir the broccoli
florets into the boiling water with the pasta when it is one to two minutes
away from being done. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. After that, scoop
2 cups of the pasta’s cooking water out of the pot to add in the sauce. Through
a colander, drain the noodles and boiled broccoli.

4. Return the pot to the heat and turn it down to medium.
Add the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. Stirring
often to prevent burning, sauté the garlic for a full minute. Next, add a cup
of pasta water. Add the cream cheese and lemon zest. Stir the cream cheese into
the pasta water until it has melted. Then include the crumbled cheddar cheese,
1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. The sauce should be smooth
and the cheese should be completely melted.

5. To the cheese sauce, add the cooked pasta and broccoli.
Stir gently to combine. If necessary, add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta
water to the sauce to thin it out. Taste, then add more salt or pepper as
desired. Serve hot.

Notes.

Best Way to Boil Broccoli (How to Boil Broccoli)

Bring a big saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil over
high heat. Broccoli should now be chopped into florets. The florets should all
be roughly 1 x 2 inches in size to cook the most evenly. Lower the broccoli
florets into the boiling water after it has reached a rolling boil. After
giving the broccoli one or two quick stirs, let it boil. Drain the broccoli’s
water using a colander. Give the broccoli another one to two minutes to steam
and dry. then offer. Broccoli that has been properly boiled should be bright
and green, with somewhat hard but not raw stems.

Storage of Leftovers

Before transferring the dish to an airtight container, let
it cool fully. Refrigerate for up to three days. Be careful not to overcook the
broccoli when quickly warming it in the microwave.

Transfer leftovers from room temperature to an airtight
freezer container before freezing; for added security, we advise wrapping the
container in a layer of foil. Keep frozen for up to two months.

The pasta can be defrosted over night in the refrigerator
and then warmed up in the microwave. Alternatively, if the pasta is in a
freezer-to-oven dish, cover the frozen dish with foil and bake for 15-20
minutes in a 350°F preheated oven.