15 minute Butter Garlic Pasta made with frozen broccoli. This is a quick weeknight dinner meal that my kids love. The simple sauce is made with garlic, olive oil, butter and salt, 3 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!
Easy Garlic Butter Pasta
My family loves this buttery garlic pasta meal made with rotini noodles and frozen broccoli. From start to finish, it only takes 15 minutes to make which makes it a perfect weeknight meal for whenever you’re low on time (and for me that’s every night, haha).
Serve next to some garlic knots, Italian bread or stuffed mushrooms for an easy pasta night dinner!
Looking for more easy pasta meals? Try my Mac and Tomatoes, Tomato Basil Pasta, Pasta and Peas, Tri Color Italian Pasta Salad and Shrimp Pasta Casserole too!
Ingredients for Broccoli and Pasta
Here’s the ingredients you need to make this dish.
What is garlic butter sauce made of?
It’s a simple sauce to make, made up of minced garlic, olive oil, butter and salt. We love this butter sauce so much that I often use it for various pasta dishes, like this Zucchini Pasta!
How to Make Garlic Butter Pasta
Cook the pasta along with frozen broccoli in the same pot.
Before draining, save 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
While pasta is cooking, melt minced garlic, olive oil, butter and salt together in a large skillet.
Add pasta and broccoli into the skillet, along with the pasta water.
Stir to fully coat the pasta and broccoli in the garlic butter sauce.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Can I use spaghetti noodles instead?
I recommend rotini or fusilli because the spirals hold the butter sauce nicely, but you can use spaghetti or whatever other type of pasta you’d like.
Can I use fresh broccoli instead?
Of course you can! I like to add my fresh broccoli to the pot along with the pasta so they can cook together – makes for one less pot to wash!
Can I add more vegetables to the pasta?
Yes! This is such a versatile recipe because you can easily swap out the broccoli for whatever you have on hand. We often use cauliflower, green beans, peas, mushrooms or even tomatoes!
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Fast Butter Garlic Pasta with Broccoli
PrintIngredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta (or fusilli)
- 16 ounce bag frozen broccoli
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until pasta is al-dente, adding in frozen broccoli with 5 minutes left. Drain, saving ¼ cup of the pasta water. (Want to use fresh broccoli? Read the notes below!)
- In a large skillet over medium heat add the minced garlic, olive oil, butter and salt, mixing until garlic is lightly sauted and butter is melted.
- Add pasta and broccoli into the skillet, along with the pasta water, and stir to fully coat the pasta in the garlic butter sauce. Taste, adding more salt if needed.
- Serve on plates with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
Kathy Melchiorre says
Need nutrients
Phyllis says
WOW!! Your broccoli looks amazing. We live in AZ and my husband is going to try and grow some. Hope his looks as good as yours. Thanks for all the great recipes.