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Quick and easy pasta with broccoli florets and parmesan cheese makes a healthy side dish or quick meal. I enjoy this meal as both a healthy side dish to serve along side chicken or pork chops. Or you makes a great meal as itself for quick vegetarian meal that is ready in less than 20 minutes. This pasta makes a great meal for meatless Monday, or if you wanted to add some meat into the meal you can add in some cooked diced chicken.
I used rotini pasta for this, but any small shaped pasta will work. If you want to make this dish gluten-free, you can replace the pasta for a gluten-free brand of pasta instead. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain it but save 1/2 cup of the cooking water to use in it later. I used frozen broccoli florets in this and cooked them according to the package directions, but if you would rather you can use fresh broccoli florets instead, just steam them before adding to the pasta. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and let the minced garlic cook for a minute until it is fragrant. Mix the garlic with the pasta and broccoli along with the remaining olive oil, reserved cooking water and grated parmesan cheese.
Broccoli Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz. rotini pasta
- 20 oz. frozen broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Place pasta into a large bowl. Cook broccoli florets according to package directions, drain and mix with pasta.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook minced garlic until fragrant. Mix garlic with pasta and broccoli along with pasta water, remaining olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.