Orecchiette with Broccoli (2024)

Authentic Broccoli Pasta from Italy! A simple, delicious vegetarian recipe for Orecchiette with Broccoli Sauce – full of flavor and nutrients! Video. See our 20+ BEST Broccoli Recipes!

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R. Ingersoll

After taking a week-long cooking class in Italy, my friend Mark brought back this traditional Tuscan recipe and made it for his wife. Truth be told when my friend Sonna first described it to me- how the broccoli was cooked down for a long time, I had some reservations. The thought of mushy broccoli seemed really off-putting, but as she continued describing how luscious and creamy the broccoli sauce became once it cooked down for a while, and the way the orecchiette pasta cradled it so lovingly, my interest was piqued. So this became our dinner last night, and I must say, it was delicious! And a whole lot of broccoli went into this!

Here is another delicious pasta dish you may love as mush as we do, Pasta Primavera!

Broccoli Pasta | 60-sec Video

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI Ingredient Notes

• Orecchiette pasta- translates to “little ear”. An ear-shaped pasta that literally cradles the sauce. Feel free to use other pasta shapes.
• Chili flakes – for a milder flavor try Aleppo or Urfa Biber.
• Anchovy paste- for a vegan option, sub miso paste (or sub 1-2 mashed whole anchovies)
• Veggie broth or chicken broth
• Freshly gratedpecorinocheese– freshly grated is BEST here as pre-grated often has caking agents that prevent the sauce from getting creamy.
• Optional Garnishes:truffle oil, fresh basil ribbons, toasted pine nuts, toasted bread crumbs, or olives.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It is packed with nutrition! Lots of broccoli in the sauce along with garlic, lemon and chili flakes. Good clean ingredients!
• Easy to make! Steam broccoli, sauté aromatics, combine (blend if a smooth sauce is desired), serve over cooked pasta with pecorio.
• Tasty and Creamy! It has a velvety mouth feel without tons of added fat. Kids like this sauce too!

How to make Broccoli Pasta

Step one: Steam the broccoli, cook the pasta, and save the hot, salted pasta water.

TIP: Throw the broccoli in a strainer in the boiling pasta water to save time and the extra pot.

I used a whole 12-ounce bag of broccoli florets ( about 6 cups, packed) cut into smaller pieces and then steamed until tender.

Step two: Sautegarlic, chili flakes and shallots, inolive oil, when fragrant, add the steamed broccoli and veggie broth, cooking until it falls apart, melts, and cooks down into a sauce (you can help break it apart with a metal spatula).

Take your time here, so the sauce is not grainy, you want the broccoli really soft.

TIP: If the color bothers you blend a cup of the cooked broccoli with a little broth, a splash of olive oil and a handful or two of baby spinach- and stir back into sauce- to brighten this up. Not traditional but does add vibrance.

Step Three: Create depth.

Stir in pecorino cheese, a little anchovie paste if you like, or even miso paste. Add lemon zest. Taste, adjust salt and pepper and get the sauce to taste how you like, loosening the sauce with hot pasta water.

For a smoother sauce, feel free to use your immersion blender here, right in the pan.

Step Four:Add the cooked pasta and again taste for salt. Add a little warm pasta water if you like it looser or saucier.

Step Five: Garnish with lots of chili flakes, lemon zest and more grated pecorino cheese.

Serve it up in your favorite pasta bowl.

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce should be on your next menu plan- it’s full of great broccoli nutrients and flavor, your kids will love this too!

• 40 Best Pasta Recipes

xoxo

Sylvia

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