Cheesy Broccoli Pasta
Indulge in this creamy cheesy broccoli pasta, a delightful meal that's perfect for busy students craving comfort! With tender broccoli florets and a luscious cheese sauce enveloping al dente pasta, this dish is quick to whip up and utterly satisfying. Grab your favorite cheese and a sprinkle of garlic for an irresistible flavor boost that will have you coming back for seconds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- just over half of a broccoli
- some garlic granules
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- equal amounts of butter and flour
- some cheese
- a load of milk
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- pasta
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- some salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cut up just over half of a broccoli and boil it in a pan until soft.
- 2
Make a roux sauce by putting equal amounts of butter and flour into a pan, adding a load of milk, and stirring continuously until it starts to boil.
- 3
Once bubbling and thickened, take off the heat and grate in some cheese, adding salt and garlic granules to taste.
- 4
Add the boiled broccoli back in, mixing it up and chopping it a bit smoother.
- 5
Boil pasta, remembering to salt it.
- 6
Once the pasta is done, add it back into the sauce, mix well, and plate it up.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the roux's flour and butter paste for 60-90 seconds before adding milk to eliminate the raw starch taste, as this allows the flour granules to fully coat in fat and begin breaking down without burning.technique60-90 seconds
- ✓Add milk gradually in 3-4 additions, whisking constantly, rather than all at once, since sudden temperature shock can cause the flour to clump instead of dispersing evenly into a smooth emulsion.technique3-4 additions
- ✓Remove the roux from heat before adding cheese and keep the sauce below 175°F when melting it in, because proteins in cheese will seize and separate from fat above this threshold, causing a grainy, oily texture instead of a silky sauce.technique175°F
- ✓Use a low-moisture, aged cheese like sharp cheddar rather than fresh mozzarella, since aged cheeses have broken-down proteins from the aging process that melt smoothly rather than becoming stringy or releasing excess water into the sauce.ingredientaged 6+ months
- ✓Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water before draining, as its dissolved starch (released from the 1-2% salt boil) helps thin and bind the cheese sauce to the pasta if it turns out too thick after mixing.ingredient1/4 cup
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Cheesy Broccoli Pasta
Indulge in this creamy cheesy broccoli pasta, a delightful meal that's perfect for busy students craving comfort! With tender broccoli florets and a luscious cheese sauce enveloping al dente pasta, this dish is quick to whip up and utterly satisfying. Grab your favorite cheese and a sprinkle of garlic for an irresistible flavor boost that will have you coming back for seconds!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- just over half of a broccoli
- some garlic granules
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- equal amounts of butter and flour
- some cheese
- a load of milk
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- pasta
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- some salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cut up just over half of a broccoli and boil it in a pan until soft.
- 2
Make a roux sauce by putting equal amounts of butter and flour into a pan, adding a load of milk, and stirring continuously until it starts to boil.
- 3
Once bubbling and thickened, take off the heat and grate in some cheese, adding salt and garlic granules to taste.
- 4
Add the boiled broccoli back in, mixing it up and chopping it a bit smoother.
- 5
Boil pasta, remembering to salt it.
- 6
Once the pasta is done, add it back into the sauce, mix well, and plate it up.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the roux's flour and butter paste for 60-90 seconds before adding milk to eliminate the raw starch taste, as this allows the flour granules to fully coat in fat and begin breaking down without burning.technique60-90 seconds
- ✓Add milk gradually in 3-4 additions, whisking constantly, rather than all at once, since sudden temperature shock can cause the flour to clump instead of dispersing evenly into a smooth emulsion.technique3-4 additions
- ✓Remove the roux from heat before adding cheese and keep the sauce below 175°F when melting it in, because proteins in cheese will seize and separate from fat above this threshold, causing a grainy, oily texture instead of a silky sauce.technique175°F
- ✓Use a low-moisture, aged cheese like sharp cheddar rather than fresh mozzarella, since aged cheeses have broken-down proteins from the aging process that melt smoothly rather than becoming stringy or releasing excess water into the sauce.ingredientaged 6+ months
- ✓Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water before draining, as its dissolved starch (released from the 1-2% salt boil) helps thin and bind the cheese sauce to the pasta if it turns out too thick after mixing.ingredient1/4 cup