Easy Creamy Broccoli Pasta
An easy Creamy Broccoli Pasta bathed in a luscious white sauce infused with lots of garlic, leek and broccoli. This is the ultimate weeknight family dinner!
Be sure to try my Bruschetta Pasta and Pasta Al Pesto recipes next!
This creamy broccoli pasta, as well as my creamy red sauce pasta, come together quickly in one skillet.
Serve it with easy garlic herb bread to slop up that delicious creamy white sauce!
Creamy Broccoli Pasta Recipe
When it comes to weeknight dinners, easy and quick is on the menu and we’re taking basic pasta to the creaminess of destinations.
This broccoli pasta will satisfy your family with its rich homemade white sauce.
What is Rotini Pasta?
Rotini pasta, also known as spiral or corkscrew pasta and similar to fusilli, is shaped like a short corkscrew. Rotini is easy to boil in the pot, unlike long spaghetti that can stick together.
The broccoli florets are cut small and cooked along with the pasta in a boiling pot of water.
I’ve included leek in my broccoli white sauce pasta which is a great alternative to onion. When you sautee it with the minced garlic, you’re infusing flavor into your creamy pasta.
A basic pasta dish doesn’t have to lack flavor. Including ingredients such as garlic, leek, parmesan and nutmeg will promise you a delicious creamy broccoli pasta.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Rotini: Also known as spiral pasta. Substitute with fusilli, penne or any short-shaped pasta you have on hand. Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free rotini/spiral pasta.
- Garlic: Can be substituted with garlic powder. Replace 3 garlic cloves with 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Butter: To make this creamy broccoli pasta dairy-free use dairy-free block butter for cooking or use coconut oil.
- All-purpose flour: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Whole milk: Substitute with dairy-free milk such as almond milk.
- Parmesan cheese: Use dairy-free shredded or grated parmesan or any other mild or sharp cheddar cheese to make it dairy-free. You can also use 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast!
Step By Step Instructions (with photos)
There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step one: First cut the broccoli into small florets and set aside. Cut them small as they’ll cook faster.
Step two: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
With 2 minutes remaining, add the broccoli florets to boiling water and pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked and the broccoli is fork tender, drain off the water through a colander and keep the pasta/broccoli in the colander. Set aside.
Step three: In a large deep skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter over low-medium heat.
Add sliced leek and gently sauté over low-medium heat for 4 minutes until it’s soft and translucent.
Step four: Stir through minced garlic and sauté for a further 1 minute on low-medium heat. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Step four: In the same skillet, add second measurement of butter and melt over low heat. Then whisk through the flour.
Increase heat to medium and once gently simmering, cook for 1 minute, while whisking.
Step five: Pour milk in a slow steady stream while whisking over medium heat.
Continue to cook and whisk over medium heat until it thickens, do not let it boil or simmer, it will thicken before it reaches a bubble.
Step six: Once thickened, reduce heat to low and whisk through ground nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step seven: Stir through the cooked leek and garlic mixture along with the parmesan cheese.
Step eight: Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the white sauce and gently mix to combine. Increase the heat to medium if needed to properly heat it through.
Serve with extra parmesan cheese and sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Salt the water: Be sure to add a generous pinch of salt or 1/2 teaspoon once your water for the pasta comes to a boil.
- Cook the leek slow: It’s important not to rush when cooking it or to have the heat too high. Cook it low and slow to prevent it from burning.
- Thick White Sauce: If it’s too thin and watery, cook it further over medium heat until thick and smooth.
- Don’t vigorously mix: Stir the cooked pasta and broccoli gently into the white sauce. If you mix it too hard or over-mix it, it will break up and turn mushy.
Troubleshooting
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 1-3 days.
Reheat: In a saucepan over low-medium heat, add additional milk to prevent sticking and to keep it creamy. The texture of the pasta will change upon reheating but will retain its flavor.
Alternatively, reheat leftovers in the microwave with some extra milk until heated through. The extra milk is to get it moist and creamy again.
Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this pasta as the creamy texture will be compromised and may separate or become grainy upon reheating.
Recipe FAQ’s
Bread! Any variety of bread will work here such as toasted slices of baguette, crostini or a quick garlic flatbread.
I’ve prepared this 2-3 hours in advance, cooking as directed and leaving it in the pan with the lid on; reheat on low-medium, stirring and adding milk to maintain creaminess.
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
Easy Creamy Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 oz (450g) rotini pasta, or spiral pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into small florets
Cooked Leek
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup thinly sliced leek, 1 stalk trimmed and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
White Sauce
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced, to garnish
Instructions
Pasta
- First cut the broccoli into small florets and set aside. Cut them small as they’ll cook faster. *Read the next step from start to finish as you’ll be adding the broccoli towards the end of the pasta cooking time.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, I cook the rotini for 9 minutes. With 2 minutes remaining, add the broccoli florets to boiling water and pasta.
- Once pasta is al dente (firm to the bite) and the broccoli is fork tender, drain off the water through a colander and keep the pasta/broccoli in the colander. Set aside.
Cooked Leek
- In a large deep skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter over low-medium heat.
- Add sliced leek and gently sauté over low-medium heat for 4 minutes until it’s soft and translucent. Do not cook too fast or it will burn.
- Stir through minced garlic and sauté for a further 1 minute on low-medium heat.
- Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Use the same skillet to make white sauce, no need to clean it.
White Sauce
- To the skillet, add the butter and melt over low-medium heat.
- Once melted, whisk through the flour.
- Increase heat to medium and once gently simmering, cook for 1 minute, while whisking.
- Pour milk in a slow and steady stream while whisking it through, over medium heat.
- Continue to cook and whisk over medium-high heat until it thickens, do not let it boil or simmer, it will thicken before it reaches a bubble.
- Once thickened, reduce heat to low.
- Whisk through ground nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir through the cooked leek and garlic mixture along with the parmesan cheese.
- Check your pasta and broccoli, if it’s stuck together, run the colander under hot water to separate.
- Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the white sauce and gently mix to combine. Increase the heat to medium if needed to properly heat it through.
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese and sliced green onions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make it gluten-free: By using a gluten-free rotini/spiral pasta. Gluten-free versions typically come in smaller weight packets, this ok, it will still work.
- Make it dairy-free: By using dairy-free butter or coconut oil along with dairy-free milk such as almond milk and cheese. Nutritional yeast is great here too.
- Store leftovers: In an airtight container, refrigerated, for 1-3 days.
- Reheat: In a saucepan over low-medium heat, add additional milk to prevent sticking and to keep it creamy. The texture of the pasta will change upon reheating but will retain its flavor.
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this pasta as the creamy texture will be compromised and may separate or become grainy upon reheating.
Nutrition
First published in November 2018, this recipe was updated in November 2023 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.