Perfectly caramelized broccoli, walnuts & nutty parmesan star in this easy Roasted Broccoli & Walnut vegetarian pasta dish that’s ready in 20 minutes and needs only 7 ingredients!
This vegetable packed pasta is a quick and easy meal with just 6 ingredients! It’s also ready to go in 20 minutes!
Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Broccoli
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Toasted walntus
- Parmesan cheese
My favorite way to add flavor to vegetables is by roasting them. It’s one of the easiest ways to add incredible flavor without excessive fat or salt. It works for asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and other root vegetables, cauliflower and even green beans and cabbage. I’ve roasted them all!
Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta is just 20 minutes + 7 ingredients away!This Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta recipe combines flavorful roasted broccoli with a weeknight meal staple – pasta. Now I could just eat the broccoli topped with walnuts and parmesan but the pasta makes it a meal.
All you need is 20 minutes and 7 ingredients to get this meal on the table (not counting the water, salt, and pepper).
When a pasta craving hits, I rarely shy away. Instead, I balance it with plenty of vegetables. And full disclosure, there would be a lot more roasted broccoli in the photo if I hadn’t eaten it right off the pan. That happens…
Anyway. This recipe is flexible. I’m showing you a couple of different pasta shapes in this post. You can swap the pasta for quinoa or brown rice or try chickpea pasta which would be delicious here too.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
Swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast to make it vegan. You can also just leave the Parmesan cheese out – though you’ll likely need to add a little more salt.
Dig into the recipe below! And be sure to PIN it for later.
Healthy Pasta Recipes
Instant Pot Spinach Mac and Cheese
Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Arugula Pasta
Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad
Instant Pot Butternut Mac and Cheese
Slow Roasted Tomato Basil Linguine
Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound orecchiette (or other short pasta like shells or bowtie)
- 1 pound fresh broccoli florets (about 5 cups raw)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 2 garlic cloves , smashed
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the broccoli florets onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Roast broccoli 12-15 minutes, turning once.
- Prepare pasta according to the package - cooking to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain.
- Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the hot pasta, broccoli and walnuts. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan. Add reserved pasta water starting with ¼ cup until desired sauciness is achieved. Toss to coat. Top with a bit more parmesan if desired. Serve.
Nutrition
Karman @ The Nutrition Adventure
Ohh, how I love roasted broccoli. I can just imagine how delicious this pasta dish is!
Marisa
Thanks, Karman!
Julie Harrington
love the addition of the walnuts. I typically blend them up into a pesto, but I like the added crunch of leaving them whole.
Marisa
Thanks! I love a good pesto too. This is my quick way to get some extra protein and crunch with similar flavors!
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple
What a yummy combo! This looks delicious 🙂
Marisa
Thanks, Liz!
EA Stewart
I love everything about this recipe-yum! And, make my roasted broccoli extra crispy please 🙂
Marisa
Yes. Extra crispy it is!
Rebecca
This looks simple and delicious. I love broccoli and walnuts together!
Marisa
Thanks! One of my favorite combos too!
GiGi Eats
Nuts in pasta!!! That’s a new one to me! What a NUTTY idea! har har! lol
Alanna
I agree, roasting is my favorite way to add flavor to any dish. I bet this broccoli kicked it up a few notches! Loving the walnuts!!
diane
Can’t go wrong with roasted broccoli! Love your flavorful additions!
Tisha
This looks incredible I love the added crunch and flavor the walnuts add 🙂 Can’t wait to try it!
Marisa
It’s a lovely combination honestly! One of my favorite quick meals!
Christina Shoemaker
Oh yum, Marisa! I love the broccoli in this dish! Such a bright and simple way enjoy pasta!! Of course you know I like everything you do. <3
Marisa
Thanks, Friend ! I’m a bit of a broccoli fanatic so I’m excited to see someone else get excited about it!
Matt @ Plating Pixels
Roasted nuts add so much flavor, looking forward to trying this!
Marisa
They really do elevate this pasta dish!
Heidy L. McCallum
This pasta recipe is totally up my alley! I could really enjoy a plate of this at dinner.
Marisa
This is honestly one of my favorite recipes. I always feel like I’m being just a little fancy at dinner when I have it!
Taylor Kiser
Love how easy this is to make! Looks so delicious! Amazing flavors going on!
Marisa
Thanks, Taylor!
Kristina
This was delicious! I was looking for a meat free dinner for Lent, but I am definitely putting this into regular rotation on my dinner menu. Super quick, easy, & tasty meal!
Marisa
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it! It’s one of my favorite recipes. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Ciara O'Sullivan
This was the perfect, quick healthy dish I needed! And the leftovers were just as good. Thanks so much!
Carolyn
Delicious and so easy. Thanks very much for this wonderful recipe.