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This Broccoli Parm Pasta is a delicious, super easy meal perfect for those days when you are short on time.

Needing a quick weeknight recipe? Whip up this delicious dish in just 20 minutes for a delicious warm and cozy weeknight meal.

Quick, Easy, Minimal Ingredients and super delicious – this pasta checks all the weeknight dinner boxes!! Save this recipe for the days when you’re running short on time or needing to use up some veggies in the fridge! A fun curly pasta blended with hot sautéed and seasoned broccoli and onions with melted cheese in every bite to make this delicious broccoli parm pasta.

There are so many fun ways to spruce up cooked pasta and one way to do that is by sautéing veggies you have sitting in your fridge. This recipe is great for those nights of the week when groceries and energy are low. Skip the take out and enjoy this dinner at home.

Broccoli Parm Pasta

What’s in this recipe?

Broccoli: Finely chopped broccoli is sautéed in a onion and garlic mixture to add freshness to the pasta dish and use up those veggies you have sitting in the fridge. Even if you aren’t a broccoli fan, we are sure this recipe will still be a hit.

Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a richness flavor to this pasta and blends everything together.

Garlic: minced garlic is sautéed with the veggies and adds a nice strong flavor to the pasta dish. It helps to meld all the flavors together. And our rule of thumb is that you can never add too much fresh garlic, especially in pasta dishes like this one. The more garlic, the more savory flavor.

Salted Butter: We prefer salted butter so that you do not have to add much salt at all to season the pasta dish. Since the butter is already salty, there really is no need to season with salt after baking.

Italian Seasoning: We love to use an Italian seasoning from trader Joes, which is a blend of all the yummy herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil oregano. It is our personal favorite, but I you don’t have this specific one on hand, just use a store bought Italian seasoning blend.

Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add an extra punch of spice!

Balsamic Vinegar: Just a small amount gives this dish just the right amount of tang and really helps to add an extra punch of needed flavor to the dish, that would otherwise be more bland.

Pasta: We love this shape of this fusilli corti bucati pasta but any small shaped pasta would pair well. We recommend smaller curled or curved pastas so that the veggies and cheese stick easily to the dish rather than a longer spaghetti pasta.

How to make the dish….

Start by heating a skillet over mid to low heat and melt three tablespoons of butter int he pan. While your skillet is heating, take some time to prep and cut your veggies. On a wooden cutting board, finely chop your broccoli, onions and garlic.

Once your veggies are prepped, toss them in the heated skillet and stir to coat the veggies in the butter. Sauté the veggies until the are soft. Stirring occasionally to make sure veggies are not burning on the bottom of the pan. Once veggies have softened, add garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and stir. Cook a couple more minutes until garlic and herbs are fragrant.

Once the broccoli and onions are sautéed, start making your pasta. In a medium pot, add a generous amount salt and bring water to a boil. Pour in pasta and cook according to package directions, stirring the pasta occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick together. After your pasta is cooked, drain water and pour back into the cooking pot.

Lastly, mix everything together. Toss the sautéed veggies, splash of balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese into the pot and stir until cheese has melted. Serve while hot and sprinkle with a little extra parmesan cheese.This dish pairs well with grilled or crusted chicken!

This post is all about how to make a quick and easy weeknight dinner, broccoli parm pasta.

Broccoli Parm Pasta

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Print Recipe

A quick, easy and delicious weeknight dinner for those days where time is running short. A cheesy pasta stirred with seasoned broccoli and onions.

Total Time: 17 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 head broccoli (finely chopped, stems removed (opt: 1 12 oz bag of broccoli florets) )
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
5 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tbsp butter ((3 tbsp for sautéing, 1 tbsp to add into pasta after cooking))
1 tbsp italian seasoning
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 16 oz bag fusilli corti bucati pasta (or any curly pasta you can find at the store)

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Instructions

Start by heating a skillet over medium – low heat and melt 3 tbsp of butter. While your skillet is heating, prep your veggies – chop onion, broccoli and garlic.
Add chopped onions and broccoli to the heated, buttered skillet. Stirring to coat in butter and continue staring frequently until softened. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for a couple more minutes until fragrant.
While your veggies are finishing cooking start your pasta water. In a large pot add a generous amount of salt to the water. Cook pasta according to packaging instructions.
Once veggies are cooked and fragrant remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
When pasta is done cooking, drain pasta water and pour pasta back into the pot used to cook. Pour and mix in veggie mixture, shredded parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until cheese is melted and veggies are mixed in.
Serve hot and sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian