Pasta con Broccoli
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.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
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
- 2 – 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions adding the broccoli the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Drain well in colander.
- 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.
- 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.
Keywords: pasta, pasta with broccoli, pasta with mushrooms, pasta sauce made with heavy cream, dinner
Find it online: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/pasta-con-broccoli/