Description
A quick, flavorful, and nutritious pasta dinner featuring fresh broccoli, garlic, and a zesty lemon-parmesan finish — ready in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
8 oz (225g) whole wheat or high-protein pasta
3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head), chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2 tbsp nutritional yeast for dairy-free)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
2. While pasta cooks, steam or blanch broccoli florets for 3–4 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add broccoli to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat in garlic oil.
5. Transfer cooked pasta to the skillet along with reserved pasta water. Toss well.
6. Stir in Parmesan (or nutritional yeast) and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
7. Serve immediately, topped with optional red pepper flakes for heat.
Notes
For a low-cholesterol option, skip Parmesan and use nutritional yeast.
Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles.
Add white beans or grilled chicken for extra protein.
This dish reheats well for meal prep — store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Keywords: Easy Healthy Broccoli Pasta, dinner with broccoli, healthy dinner recipes for weight loss, vegetarian high protein meal prep, low cholesterol pasta