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Photo of Pasta with creamy broccoli sauce by WW

Pasta with creamy broccoli sauce

8
8
3
SmartPoints® value per serving
Total Time
30 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
This easy, veggie-filled dinner comes together with just five staple ingredients (salt, pepper, and oil don’t count). Frozen broccoli florets shine when cooked briefly in boiling water to retain some of their crunch and color. About half of the broccoli gets blended with oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and a little pasta cooking water to create a creamy sauce for the pasta. We like chickpea pasta for its protein and fiber boost (it's gluten-free, too), but you can use any pasta you like.

Ingredients

frozen chopped broccoli

6 cup(s), florets

uncooked chickpea pasta

8 oz, rotini, penne, cavatappi, or casarecce

grated Parmesan cheese

⅓ cup(s)

olive oil

1½ Tbsp

lemon zest

1 tsp

fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp

kosher salt

¾ tsp

black pepper

½ tsp

garlic clove(s)

1 large clove(s), coarsely chopped

lemon(s)

½ medium, cut int wedges (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes. Remove broccoli from water with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add pasta to boiling water; cook until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove and reserve ½ cup pasta water with a ladle. Drain pasta.
  2. In a blender, combine 2½ cups broccoli, ½ cup reserved pasta water, 2 tbsp cheese, oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Blend on high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Return pasta and remaining broccoli to pot. Add sauce and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
  4. Serving size: 1½ cups

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