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Pasta con Broccoli

Pasta Con Broccoli

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5 from 26 reviews

 

Pasta con Broccoli is the ultimate pasta lovers dish with broccoli, mushrooms, and garlic smothered in a Parmesan cream sauce with a touch of tomato sauce.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces shell pasta
  • 2 cups broccoli florets chopped in bite size pieces
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 8 ounces white button mushrooms sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 23 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil pasta according to package instructions adding the broccoli the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Drain well in colander.
  2. In large skillet melt butter over medium high heat. Add mushroom and cook until light golden brown. Reduce heat to medium low; add garlic and basil and cook for 1 minute stirring continuously.
  3. Add cream and cook until slightly thickened and reduced; approximately 15 minutes.  Slowly stir in Parmesan cheese. Stir in tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return broccoli and pasta to pan and heat through.

Notes

  • Use fresh broccoli for this recipe.  Frozen broccoli holds too much moisture and it will thin out the sauce
  • Use heavy cream with this recipe.  It reduces best and makes the finest pasta sauce.
  • If you must use half and half or milk than you will need to thicken it with a bit of cornstarch and cool water. About two tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water will do the trick.
  • Don’t overcook the broccoli.  You don’t want it mushy. It is best with a little bit of crisp for this pasta.
  • Don’t overcook the pasta.  It is placed back over the heat in the final step to warm everything up so that will add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
  • Always turn heat to medium low to cook garlic and a little less than a minute is all it needs.  Burn’t garlic is bitter and it will change the overall taste of your dish and not for the good.
  • Use the amount of red sauce that pleases your palate.  I personally like my Pasta con Broccoli more white than red so I go light.

 

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