Simple Broccoli Pasta Salad

This Simple Broccoli Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish that is light and refreshing.

SIMPLE PASTA BROCCOLI SALAD

This recipe tastes way too good to be as simple as it is! It takes about 20 minutes to make and pairs well with most main dishes. This could even be a main dish if you top it with your choice of protein such as grilled chicken breasts.

Not only is this recipe super easy to make, but the flavors are also refreshing. The hint of lemon combined with buttery sauteed garlic is delightful! This budget-friendly broccoli pasta salad is sure to be a family favorite!

HOW TO CHOOSE A PASTA

If you are looking for a healthier pasta, try one made from ingredients you would never guess are there! We love this Chickpea Penne Pasta (which contains 17 grams of protein per serving with only one ingredient: organic chickpea flour) and this Red Lentil Penne Pasta (also made with one ingredient which is red lentil flour which provides 13 grams of protein). If you want a more traditional pasta try a Whole Wheat Pasta.

Pay attention to the number of servings in the pasta you choose. For the chickpea and lentil pasted we listed above you will need two boxes to make the recipe as listed. The macros listed below were calculated using the chickpea pasta.

MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISH RECIPES

• Healthy Broccoli Salad with Bacon
• Copycat Zoe’s Braised White Beans with Rosemary
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Balsamic Drizzle
• Simple Grape Salad Recipe

Simple Broccoli Pasta Salad

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• Author: Whitney Carlson
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

This Simple Broccoli Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish that is light and refreshing.

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Ingredients

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• 1 lb penne pasta noodles
• 2 lbs broccoli, chopped into florets
• 4 TBSP grass-fed butter
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1.5 tsp minced garlic)
• 4 handfuls of organic spinach
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• dash to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (just a few dashes if you don’t like it spicy)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

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Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
   1. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, wash and chop broccoli.
   2. Once the water is boiling, add the noodles. After the noodles have been cooking for 4-5 minutes, add the broccoli to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes or until noodles and broccoli are fork-tender. The noodles shouldn’t need to cook for more than 12 minutes total.
2. While the broccoli and noodles are cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir the spinach into the garlic butter over low heat. Zest 1 lemon over the spinach, then squeeze the juice from the lemon. Stir everything together once or twice. Turn the heat off and finish the noodles/broccoli.
4. At this point, the noodles and broccoli should be cooked. Dump the noodles and broccoli into a colander to drain excess water then place the drained noodles and broccoli in a large serving bowl.
5. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes over the broccoli and pasta. Dump cheese on top and stir everything together.
6. Lastly, pour the sauteed lemon-garlic spinach over the pasta including all the juices from the saucepan. Stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.
7. Serve warm (room temperature)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop