Roasted Broccoli Pasta

If you are looking for a delicious weeknight meal, say hello to Roasted Broccoli Pasta! This deliciously simple recipe brings together crispy, caramelized broccoli with perfectly cooked pasta, all tossed in a light garlic and parmesan sauce.

Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or just looking for a quick meal after a busy day, this no-fuss dish is sure to become your weeknight go-to.

Ingredients

• Toasted Pine Nuts: Substitute with walnuts for a different twist.
• Broccoli:  You can buy pre-washed bagged florets to save time.
• Oil:  Either olive oil or avocado oil are my recommendations.
• Garlic:  Freshly minced garlic has the most flavor in my experience, but frozen or jarred will work as well.
• Salt:  Sea salt is my go-to. Kosher salt or table salt also work well.
• Pasta: I originally made this with gluten-free quinoa pasta, but any type of linguine or spaghetti noodles will work.
• Crushed Red Pepper:  The heat from this is subtle, but feel free to omit if you don't like heat.
• Parmesan:  Use rennet-free to make this vegetarian.
• Fresh Basil:  Parsely could be substituted.

Tips and Tricks

• For perfectly roasted broccoli, ensure your florets are roughly the same size for even cooking and don’t overcrowd the pan.
• If you like a bit more crunch, try roasting the broccoli for an extra 5 minutes until it's deeply caramelized.
• When cooking the pasta, add a pinch of salt to the boiling water to enhance its flavor from the start.
• If you're sensitive to spice, reduce the amount of crushed red pepper or omit it entirely for a milder dish.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pasta just before serving to brighten up the dish.
• To save time, you can roast the broccoli ahead and simply reheat it when combining with the pasta.
• If pine nuts are unavailable, try using toasted almonds or chopped walnuts for a similar nutty crunch.