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.

Course pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword dinner, pasta, pasta sauce made with heavy cream, pasta with broccoli, pasta with mushrooms

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 495kcal

Author Beth Pierce

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.

Nutrition