Garlic and broccoli penne gets major flavor from roasting both the garlic and the broccoli in the oven before tossing with olive oil and pasta. This easy vegetarian pasta recipe is mostly hands off, making it a great choice for a busy weeknight dinner!
Garlic. And broccoli. And penne. It’s easy weeknight dinner time!
I have very little skill when it comes to 30 minute dinners. But. Dinner where you can let something cook for 30+ minutes without touching it? That I can do.
This vegetarian pasta recipe uses roasted garlic, which is one of my favorite things on planet earth because it takes an entire head of garlic and turns it into something that I could probably eat in one sitting. It’s so freaking flavorful!
Garlic takes on a sweet, mellow flavor when fully roasted so this amount is just right for me. If it seems like too much for you, however, cut it back by as much as you’d like.
We’re pairing it with my oven roasted broccoli because, as we’ve established, that is also one heck of a good way to eat something. Add all that to quick cooking penne and you won’t believe what you made with like 15 minutes of hands on work in the game.
Part of what makes this so easy is that it gives you plenty of room to improvise or make substitutions. Use whatever amount of broccoli you have on hand or swap in sweet potato, sautéed spinach, or caramelized onions.
How to make garlic and broccoli penne
- Roast garlic
- Roast broccoli
- Cook penne, reserving a cup of cooking liquid
- Heat olive oil, then mash in garlic and broccoli
- Add the pasta along with Parmesan cheese and pasta water. Toss to coat!
As always, you can find a vegetarian parmesan cheese if you’d like (because not all parmesan is vegetarian) or leave it off.
This garlic and broccoli penne recipe can be customized! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap the roasted garlic for 2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced and cooked in the oil for 30 seconds before adding the broccoli
- Leave off the cheese or top with vegan parmesan to make this a vegan pasta dish
- Use gluten free noodles to make it gluten free
- Swap the roasted broccoli for an equal amount of any other roasted vegetable such as squash, zucchini, or tomatoes
More vegetarian pasta recipes
- Orecchiette with Spinach and Butter Beans
- Olive Oil Alfredo Sauce
- Fettuccine Alfredo with Cajun Tofu
- Roasted Garlic and Tomato Penne
- Pesto Linguine with Crispy Balsamic Chickpeas
Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
- 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, cut into small florets
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta
- ¼ – ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Cut the top off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic tightly in a piece of aluminum foil and place in the oven until the cloves are dark and very soft, about 45 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you are able to handle it, then squeeze the pulp out of the skin or remove it gently with a butter knife.
- Meanwhile, rub broccoli with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until beginning to brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes, tossing once if desired.
- While the vegetables are cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Just before it is done cooking, reserve ½ a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta but do not rinse.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roasted garlic to the pan and mash into a paste with the back of a spoon or fork.
- Add the roasted broccoli and continue to mash a bit, adding a splash or two of pasta water to make a sauce. When all the ingredients are hot and slightly mashed add the pasta and ¼ cup of Parmesan and toss to coat. You can add another tablespoon of olive oil or a bit more pasta water if you want it a little saucier. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve pasta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.
Amy | Club Narwhal says
Lindsay, it was 60 degrees on the nose yesterday and it was perfect (especially since we had been hovering in the 20-30s for WEEKS before that. I love long, slow cooked meals in the oven on cold nights, too 🙂 This pasta looks fabulous!
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Amy! I’m glad things are warming up around you!
cheri says
Love the flavor of roasted garlic, what a great combination of flavors.
Lindsay Moe says
Yes, the garlic and broccoli go great together. I think I could put roasted garlic on just about anything and it would be fabulous!
cheri says
Love the flavor of roasted broccoli, what a great combination of flavors.
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
If there is anything I will miss about winter, it’s the warm cozy meals. But it looks like winter might be sticking around a bit longer this weekend (ugh, snow) so it’s a perfect excuse to make this yummy pasta!
liz | carpé season says
Too unfortunately true, Stephanie. As long as it snows, we will roast vegetables. I’m saving this recipe for next fall…Elsa’s stomach has made it very clear that it does not prefer broccoli…so of course, that’s all I’ve been craving 🙂
Lindsay Moe says
So sad! You’re a good mama for cutting it out for her sake.
Lindsay Moe says
I might be guilty of still making cozy meals in the heat of summer just because I love them so much. Did the snow up there melt right away or is it sticking around?
Rachel says
I love the idea of adding pine nuts! Delish and can’t wait to test this.
Lindsay Moe says
I’ve been putting pine nuts in all my pastas lately! It’s such a tasty way to add a little protein.
Alex says
Using veggies in pasta is so amazing!
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
It was so great to meet you this weekend Lindsay! (And thrilled we could force pad thai on you for the first time, haha!) Hope you have a safe trip back to Wisconsin–and get to explore KC a bit more today.
Lindsay Moe says
It was great meeting you as well! I welcome people to force good food on me as often as possible! And it was great. I was able to discover some great spots in KC on Sunday morning, hopefully you did as well and made it back to DC ok!
Ginny says
This looks delicious and I’m with you on getting in a meal like hits before it’s sale season. It was great meeting you last night and I’m excited to see some more great recipes like this from you 🙂
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Ginny! It was great meeting you as well. I’m glad we squeezed it in at the last minute!
two birds says
Yum, this sounds so delicious. Roasted broccoli is one of my favorite things…even in the heat of the summer!
cynthia says
hi Lindsay I love your recipes but I sometimes find it hard to read the instructions as sometimes the picture of the meal is too big and recipe runs into it hard to read don’t get me wrong loving your recipes ..cheers
Lindsay Moe says
Thank you so much for this feedback. I’m curious which image exactly runs into the recipe, or is the page jumping around as the images load? If you’re having trouble I’d recommend clicking on the “print” button. Even if you don’t want to print it, it will take you to an easy to read page that is just the recipe without the clutter. Hope this helps!