Broccoli Garlic Pasta with Red Pepper Flakes - Grilled Cheese Social (2024)

This simple yet delicious broccoli garlic pasta with parmesan, red pepper flakes and lemon is one of my go-to's. It's super flavorful and it doesn't really require a lot of ingredients.

What is Broccoli Garlic Pasta?

Growing up, broccoli garlic pasta was one of my favorite dishes. Fast forward to adulthood and it's still one of my go-tos! It's just one of those perfect comfort foods that's beyond easy to make... especially after a long day.

All you need is pasta, a head of broccoli, some red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon, parmesan, butter and olive oil! Oh, and white wine - how could I forget that?! If you're anything like me, you probably already have most of these ingredients on hand.

As for the pasta shape, to be quite honest, I've never used mafalda before... but I'm obsessed with this shape! It's long and lean like a linguini noodle but it's ribbed on the sides which makes it look almost like a skinny lasagna noodle.

The curly edges really help keep all the tiny bits of broccoli, garlic, parm and red pepper flakes stuck to each noodle. And it's so pretty!

I've actually been on the hunt for malfada since I first saw it on the internet about a year ago on some instagram page. I've never seen it at the grocery store, but finally found it on Amazon and then at Home Goods of all places! Lol.

But if you don't have mafalda, no sweat. You could use a variety of pastas - anything from penne to bowties or even angel hair.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Mafalda Pasta - You can sub for any pasta shape.
• Salted Butter - Unsalted works as long as you add a pinch of salt!
• Olive Oil - Olive oil is best but you could sub for avocado oil.
• Red pepper flakes - If you don't like red pepper flakes, you can leave them out but they add so much depth to the dish so I don't recommend it.
• Broccoli - No substitutions for broccoli. You could use another green but it won't be the same pasta dish - obviously! Lol.
• Garlic - Fresh is best but the shelf stable jarred minced kind will also work.
• White Wine - If you don't want to use wine, sub it for chicken or veggie stock.
• Lemon - Lemon adds so much to this recipe so I recommend using fresh lemon.
• Parmigiano - Feel free to sub any Italian style aged cheese instead of parm.

How to Make Simple Broccoli Garlic Pasta

This Garlic Broccoli con Pasta is one those easy recipes that's always perfectly delicious.

To begin, boil water with plenty of salt.

Cook mafalda pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, add butter and olive oil to a large pot with a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes.

Once it starts to sizzle, add broccoli, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until you the garlic is fragrant.

Stir it up and add white wine.

Let the wine cook out for a few minutes then add the cooked pasta back in with a little more butter.

Add parmesan, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water, little by little, and stir until each noodle has a glossy finish.

To serve, top each bowl with a little bit more parmesan and some more red pepper flakes for garnish.

Pretty easy huh? And after just one bite, you'll want it again and again!

What goes with broccoli pasta?

If I were serving this broccoli pasta, I'd pair it with these pesto meatballs, or even these ham and cheese crescent rolls, or even this grinder salad.

For more easy broccoli pasta recipes, check out this Mafaldine Limone with Broccoli, this boursin cheese pasta, or even this cheesy broccoli orzo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use instead of broccoli?

If you absolutely can't stand broccoli, try using peas, spinach, cauliflower, broccolini.

What is anther name for Mafalda Pasta?

Mafalda Pasta is also known as Mafaldine pasta, Reginettemalfa, corta pasta, or even skinny lasagna noodles.

Can you use frozen broccoli in broccoli garlic pasta?

Absolutely! No need to defrost because you can add it directly to the pan. It takes minutes to heat up and the taste is still delicious!

Save this recipe for later

Want to save this broccoli garlic pasta recipe for another time? I got you!

You can pin any image on this page or use the pretty ones I made below specifically for your pasta pinterest boards.

And if you don't already, feel free to follow me on pinterest, instagram, youtube, facebook, and tiktok for tasty inspiration shared daily!

And if pinterest isn't really your thing, you can always scroll down to the bottom of this post and print the printable recipe card.

Recipe