Creamy Broccoli Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Broccoli, Greek yogurt, fresh basil, and your typical pesto ingredients blended into a silky smooth sauce and served with your favorite tubular pasta.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian-American

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

1 pound mezzi rigatoni or tubular pasta
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
parmesan cheese for topping

Creamy broccoli sauce

3 rounded cups broccoli florets 11/2 inch stems included
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 lemon juice squeezed
1/2 cup Greek yogurt I used 2%
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
2-3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp pine nuts lightly toasted
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
pinch salt

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove with a spider strainer and let excess water drip back into the pot. Transfer broccoli and whole garlic to a blender. Keep water boiling and add rigatoni. Cook al dente and reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later.
Meanwhile, heat pine nuts in a pan over medium heat. Keep the pan moving to prevent burning. Pine nuts should be slightly golden in color. About 4-5 minutes.
Heat olive oil and add panko crumbs in the same skillet. Toss to evenly coat the panko. Toast until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Add toasted pine nuts to the blender along with basil, lemon, greek yogurt, olive oil, parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and very creamy.
Return strained pasta to the pot and mix with creamy broccoli sauce. Add a small splash of pasta water and mix until creamy. If it is too thick, add additional pasta water as needed.
Plate topped with crispy breadcrumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

Japanese panko is crunchy and large in comparison to Italian breadcrumbs. I would not substitute fine breadcrumbs, but crushed croutons could do the trick.

I've made this recipe with both fresh and frozen broccoli. Both options work well. Regardless, they should be blanched/boiled. If you use frozen, do not thaw; just boil from frozen.

I used 2% Greek Yogurt but fat-free or full-fat all work. The consistency will vary depending on which kind of yogurt you use. More fat will render a thicker sauce, but it can be thinned with pasta water.

Nutrition