At the request of Kamini on Facebook, this is how I made our Easy 20 Minute Broccoli Alfredo Pasta tonight. And for the record, this may be the fastest blog post I've ever written, so if you find mistakes, kindly let me know!
I threw this dish together when I realized it was getting late and I hadn't thawed anything for supper. Me and my kiddos love all things pasta and I do meals like this more often than I'll admit!
It's fast (less than 20 minutes), easy (most ingredients are staples - at least for us) and it's filling and delicious! What more could you ask for? I added some homemade yeast rolls as a side (leftovers from the freezer) and we called it dinner!
As I mentioned on Facebook, I don't really measure when I make sauce like this, so these are my best guesses at how much of each ingredient - but even if it's off a little, it should still be great! I make it all the time... trust me! Just know that it's a thick, rich, yummy, cheesy sauce!!
And as I also mentioned on Facebook - I think I should've cut down on the amount of sauce so consider yourself warned... it's very cheesy and saucy. If you like alot of sauce, go for it! If not, you may want to add it sparingly until you find a good "sauce to pasta ratio" for you! You may even want to cut it in half from the start!
For our family of 8, I usually use 2 pounds of pasta, but since my husband isn't home right now... that's one less grown-up mouth to feed and I don't need leftovers for his lunch tomorrow. Soooo, I only used one box of pasta and I think that's why there was too much sauce!
Please see the notes on this recipe for variations!
PrintRecipe
Easy Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Description
An easy, filling pasta dish that is ready in less than 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound box of pasta (I used Mostaccioli)
- 1 pound of fresh or frozen broccoli crowns
- 4 Tbsp. of real salted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup of all purpose flour
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of milk (if you don't have heavy cream on hand, use all milk!)
- ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan, plus more to garnish
- 1 tsp. of salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, drop in the broccoli. The pasta water may stop boiling if you're using frozen (as I do) but in my experience, it all still comes out perfectly done when the timer goes off! If you're worried, test your pasta for done-ness and cook a little longer if needed. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.
- In a medium boiler, melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic. When the butter is hot, stir in the flour and continue stirring until you get a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk and/or cream. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cheeses, continuing to stir until it's a smooth sauce. Pour over the hot pasta and garnish with more Parmesan!
- Enjoy!!
Notes
This recipe is super versatile!
If you don't like garlic, leave it out!
If you prefer a different vegetable (or none at all)... go for it! It's also great with shrimp or chicken!!
If you don't have cream, use all milk - I've done it countless times and it works great!
The cheeses can be anything you like! Use all Parmesan if you like or add some cheddar in there for a yellow sauce! The sky is the limit! NOTE: if you use all Parmesan, watch your salt. Parmesan is very salty and it's easy to overdo it!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Love broccoli? Check out my other recipes here:
Easy Broccoli Rice & Cheese Casserole
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken with Steamed Broccoli
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Homemade Sweet & Sour Dressing
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