When I tell you that my kids love roasted broccoli pasta, you won’t believe that the main ingredient is…broccoli.
There’s roasted broccoli, as you see here, but what you can’t make out so well is the roasted broccoli that’s also pureed into a sauce. Double broccoli. And now for the part that’ll leave you shocked: it’s delicious.
I saw Amy Schumer’s James Beard Award-winning husband, Chris Fischer, make something like this on their show, Amy Schumer Learns to Cook and have been wanting to make it ever since.
So glad I did! And now you can too.
How to Make Roasted Broccoli Pasta
Start with frozen broccoli and onions. That’s right! No washing, no cutting. Just open up the bag, and pour onto a baking sheet. (I like to line my baking sheets with parchment paper for a little easier cleanup.)
Slather with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Roast for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Use a food processor to puree all of the onions and half the broccoli. PLUS: 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water, *2 raw eggs, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup olive oil. This is your sauce.
*The hot pasta will cook the eggs. If you don’t want to include, just skip. I’ve made it both ways and without, you’ll lose some silkiness but it’s still great.
Drain the pasta and toss with the broccoli sauce. Add your remaining roasted broccoli and top with diced cherry tomatoes.
Roasted Broccoli Pasta
This dish serves a crowd! Be ready for leftovers (so good heated up the next day) or transform what’s left into pasta cups that kids can take to school using the same technique we use for our Magical Mac & Cheese Cups.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 32 ounces frozen broccoli (florets or cut broccoli)
- 10 ounces frozen onions (or one whole onion chopped)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- salt & pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables. Start with frozen broccoli and onions. That’s right! No washing, no cutting. Just open up the bag, and pour onto a baking sheet. (I like to line my baking sheets with parchment paper for a little easier cleanup.)
- Cook the pasta. While the vegetables are roasting, begin cooking the pasta according to package instructions. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to your water.
- Make the sauce. When the vegetables are done roasting, use a food processor to puree all of the onions and half the broccoli. Add 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water, 2 raw eggs, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup olive oil. This is your sauce.
- Combine everything together. Drain the pasta and toss with the broccoli sauce. Add your remaining roasted broccoli and top with diced cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then serve!
Is Broccoli Good for You?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Broccoli is a powerhouse food. When you eat broccoli, your body gets:*
- a multivitamin’s worth of nutrition
- fiber
- protection from disease
- improved gut health
- an anti-inflammatory called sulforaphane
- and more!
Find out more about what happens to your body when you eat broccoli.
Just for Fun
When you’re feeding little foodies a new food like this, it helps to have some fun facts and a joke or two on hand.
Fun Facts About Broccoli
- Broccoli is a giant bundle of unopened flowers. If the plant was left in the ground, the floret would continue maturing and explode into a beautiful abundance of yellow flowers before developing into seeds.
- A cup of broccoli has more Vitamin C than an orange. A single orange has about 51 mg of Vitamin C. A cup of chopped broccoli has about 81 mg of Vitamin C.
- California is the broccoli capital of the United States. About 90 percent of America’s broccoli comes from one state, California, which produces about 2 billion pounds of broccoli each year!
Source: Daily Harvest Express
Cute Broccoli Jokes
What’s a broccoli farmer’s favorite kind of music?
Broc-and-Roll!
How did the broccoli like being served for dinner?
It was steamed!
What Goes with Roasted Broccoli Pasta?
Looking for a great side dish to serve? Here are a few kid-tested favorites that work well together.
Maple-Glazed Roasted Baby Carrots
Sauteed Sweet Corn with Feta Cheese & Lemon
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