Easy Cheesy Feta Broccoli Pasta

This easy cheesy feta broccoli pasta is the creamy pasta indulgence you're craving but with broccoli to make you feel good about your choices.

As a Romanian I grew up eating cheesy feta pasta and to this day it's still one of my favourite dishes and probably my ultimate comfort meal.

But being an adult now and feeling the need to add some vegetables to my diet, I started making it with broccoli.

That's the truth. That's the role of the broccoli. To make you feel like you're not just indulging. To make you feel okay about inhaling way more than a normal sized serving.

Nah, okay...that's not true. In truth the broccoli adds a nice flavor contrast - a bit of sweetness and earthy vegetal flavor to contrast with the salty, creamy, briny cheese sauce.

This pasta is really easy to make, versatile, sooo creamy and always a hit at the table.

And on the topic of servings, this recipe makes 4 really generous ones...or 5 normal sized.

Quick Summary

• Easy to make creamy feta pasta with broccoli to health it up
• Beautiful flavor contrasts between the sweet earthy broccoli and creamy, salty feta
• Pasta water emulsifies with the cheese for a rich, no-cream sauce
• Can be made with different cheeses added to make it creamier, meltier or sharper etc.

Jump to:

• Quick Summary
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• How to make feta broccoli pasta
• Serving Suggestion
• Related
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Dry pasta - the base of the dish; mafaldine or fusilli bucati are ideal to hold the sauce
• Feta cheese - salty, briny creaminess - the better the feta the better the cheesy pasta
• Broccoli florets - adds sweetness, texture and a veggie boost
• Pecorino or parmesan - for an umami and sharp cheesy note
• Mozzarella (fresh or aged) - adds that gooey meltiness
• Butter - for sautéing the broccoli and building flavor
• Salt - for seasoning the pasta water
• Seasoning - dried oregano, black pepper, and garlic powder give the dish a bit of complexity

If you really wanted to you could make this pasta with basically the first 3 ingredients: pasta, feta and broccoli (and I've made it with only the first 2 plenty of times as well). But the rest really add a lot and elevate the flavors and textures in the dish.

Equipment

You don't need any special equipment but it helps to have the following:

• Large stock pot for boiling the pasta
• Large skillet for mixing the pasta with the cheese to make a sauce (or reserve some pasta water from the pot, drain and make everything in the pot)
• 2 small wooden spoons for rapidly tossing the pasta to emulsify the sauce
• Tongs, slotted spoon or pasta spoon for handling pasta

How to make feta broccoli pasta

Boil the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously (about 1 teaspoon salt per 4 liters), and cook your pasta until just al dente.

Mafaldine or fusilli bucati hold the sauce best, but any pasta will work.

Note on salt: Be careful not to over-salt the water as you'll be using the pasta water to make an emulsification and too much salt in the water can make for really salty pasta (especially with the abundant salty cheese in this recipe).

Sauté the broccoli

While the pasta boils, melt butter in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli florets and sprinkle them with black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, just until they turn bright green and are fork-tender but still slightly crisp. They'll finish cooking when the pasta is added.

Usually the pasta takes longer to cook than the broccoli which means you can just turn off the heat once the broccoli is soft, and turn it back on when you're ready to put in the pasta.

Grate the cheese

While the broccoli is cooking, shred or grate the cheese. Once the broccoli has softened turn off the heat until the pasta is ready.

Combine and toss

Once the pasta is cooked, use tongs or a pasta spoon to move it to the skillet with the broccoli (or reserve a bit of pasta water and drain).

Put the cheese over the broccoli and and use a ladle or glass measuring cup to pour ¼ cup of pasta water over the broccoli and cheese.

Turn the heat on to medium and toss rapidly to emulsify the cheese and water into a creamy sauce. I like to use two wooden spoons to toss and fold everything together quickly.

Keep tossing until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta. Add more water a ¼ cup at a time but keep an eye that it doesn't get watery. It should only take 3-4 minutes max.

Troubleshooting tip if your cheese seizes up: cheese (especially dry aged cheese) can seize up and clump together if exposed to high heat. If the cheese clumps or seizes, add another splash of pasta water and keep tossing vigorously off heat. Pasta water is key to making a smooth cheese sauce without cream-just like in classic Italian pasta recipes.

One pot option

To make this a one pot cheesy broccoli pasta, boil the pasta with the broccoli in the same pot. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of pasta cooking time so it doesn't overcook.

Drain together, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, and return everything to the pot with the cheeses and seasoning. Toss with pasta ¼ cup of pasta water at a time until creamy.

Turn it into a cheesy pasta broccoli bake

To make a cheesy broccoli pasta bake, follow the main recipe then pour everything into a buttered baking dish. Top with extra mozzarella or breadcrumbs and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly on top.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use any pasta shape you like, though textured ones like rotini or shells hold the sauce better
• Swap in cauliflower or peas for the broccoli
• Replace mozzarella with scamorza or even cheddar for a sharper flavor
• Add cooked shredded or grilled chicken to make cheesy chicken broccoli pasta
• Spice it up with chili flakes or paprika

Serving Suggestion

Serving Suggestions

This cheesy vegetable pasta is rich and satisfying, so it pairs well with something fresh or acidic to balance it out:

• A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette or my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette adds brightness and crunch.
• Serve with pickled onions or marinated red peppers to contrast the creaminess.
• For something heartier, pair it with grilled chicken for a complete meal.

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