Pasta con Broccoli

Pasta and broccoli in a glossy, creamy orange sauce made with tomato paste, cream, Parmesan, and broccoli mashed right into the pan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta, such as shells, cavatelli, penne, or orecchiette
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4–5 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½–¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• ½–1 cup reserved pasta water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 4–5 minutes, until tender. Scoop it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
2. Cook the pasta in the same water until it is 1 minute shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1½ cups of the pasta water.
3. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant; do not brown the garlic.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly.
5. Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the cream. Continue stirring until the tomato paste is fully incorporated and the sauce turns light orange. Let it simmer gently for 2–3 minutes without letting it boil hard.
6. Add the cooked broccoli. Mash roughly one-third to one-half of it with a wooden spoon, leaving plenty of florets intact.
7. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes.
8. Turn the heat to low or off. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan and toss vigorously. Loosen the sauce with more pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, if needed.
9. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, and more Parmesan. If the sauce feels too rich, add another splash of pasta water.
10. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

Notes

• The sweet spot for 1 lb of pasta is 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ¾ cup heavy cream, and ½ cup Parmesan.
• Slightly overcooking the broccoli is desirable: some of it should break down into the sauce.