Penne Broccoli

Posted March 2023, Updated February 2025

Easy Penne Broccoli or pasta broccoli because you can use any pasta in this recipe. It’s a quick pasta dinner making it perfect for busy weeknights. This recipe uses minimal ingredients and takes 10-15 minutes from start to finish!

Penne Broccoli Pasta Recipe

Many authentic Italian pasta dishes are based around simplicity. Even if you are making a homemade lasagna or spinach ricotta rotolo the ingredients may look complicated but the process is simple.

This is another old pasta favorite in our house and my husband’s favorite dish that he grew up eating and taught me how to make it. We are still, always blown away by the ease of making it and how good it tastes!

Why We Love This Recipe

♡ Leftovers: Just like macaroni pasta it makes the best left overs!

♡ Convenient: It can be served hot or cold and still tastes delicious so it’s perfect for a packed lunch! Yes it’s over the charts delicious when warm but it can also be eaten cold.

♡ Super Simple: It’s so easy and so quick!

Ingredients For Penne Broccoli

You can find the full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below.

Pasta: I used penne but you can use any pasta type here. Another favorite with broccoli is orecchiette (which we often use) and fusilli.

Broccoli: One head of broccoli will easily feed a family of four or more. You can adjust the quantity per servings.

Chili: A little spicy flavor from red pepper flakes or fresh or dried chili. Remove some or all of the seeds for less heat. We are using a chili seasoning spice which is here.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is suggested

Olive oil Use extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper: To taste.

Cheese: Pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese

Pasta water and/or broccoli water Essential to create a creamy texture and to help avoid the garlic from burning in the beginning of cooking.

Image of the same recipe but with orecchiette pasta! Those ” little ears” – (orecchiette in Italian) do a good job of scooping up any flavor in the pot!

How To Make Pasta and Broccoli

Ready to make this broccoli pasta for dinner tonight?

Pasta: Cook the pasta first. The rest of this recipe goes very quick!

You can cook the pasta ONE of two ways:

Cook the broccoli first and then use the same water and pot to cook the pasta in OR cook them at the same time in the same pot. Just add the broccoli 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. You can do it that way, but, we are old fashioned and this is how we do it.

Prep the broccoli: Clean the broccoli by removing the hard end bits and slice them more or less the same size into florets.

Cook the broccoli: You can steam the broccoli, microwave it or use a pot on the stove, it doesnt matter, just cook the broccoli. I am steaming because I like being able to control how soft it gets 🙂

Tip 1! Have a bowl with ice and water ready so that you can scoop the broccoli out from cooking into the ‘ice bath’. It helps stop the cooking process and to retain the vibrant green color (hue). Its a matter of cooking it briefly and dipping it into the ice bath (2 minutes) and back into the colander to sit.

Garlic and Spices

Garlic: Pour the olive oil into the pot and add the garlic and chili spice. Please read the next step carefully!

Important Tip for Frying Garlic

If you’re frying the garlic in the same pot that cooked the broccoli, be mindful that the pot will still be hot. Keep the heat low to avoid burning the garlic the moment you add it. Remember, we’re not using onion here, so the garlic doesn’t have the protective cushion that onion provides. It won’t be able to nestle in between onion layers, making it more susceptible to burning.

Tip 2!: Add some of the of pasta water to the garlic while frying, it will prevent it from burning and also create a starchy sauce with the oil.

Add the pasta As the pasta reaches its cooked stage (al dente) start to transfer it all into the broccoli.

As you can see this recipe goes pretty quick so have all the ingredients ready before you start.

How To Serve Penne Broccoli

Serve as a meal on it’s own because that’s what it is, a complete healthy vegetarian meal. For protein add steak or chicken.

We love this pasta broccoli with nothing else except a sprinkle more of the ingredients – Calabrese spice, olive oil and Pecorino cheese.

Recipe Tips

• The leftover water, from the pasta or the broccoli comes in very handy.
• Cook the broccoli seperate and the pasta seperate OR cook them in one-pot. Just remember to add the broccoli a few minutes before the pasta is cooked.
• Have enough sauce from the garlic, oil and pasta water.

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Easy orecchiette pasta
• Pasta Ziti Al Tonno Calabrese
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Salmon Pasta
• Anchovy Pasta
• Fusilli Alfredo Pasta

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you give this recipe a try, let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear from you! Leave a quick rating or comment below, it really helps more people find these easy, feel-good meals. 🧡 Want more cozy recipes? Stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram—I’d love to connect with you there too!