This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
This garlic broccoli pasta is so full of goodness and can be made as a side dish or turned into an entree with the addition of a protein.
It’s a simple recipe with minimal ingredients and is full of flavor without relying on a heavy sauce.
The trick to the flavor boost is one of my go-to cooking hacks: Better Than Bouillon.
Better Than Bouillon is a paste concentrate similar to a bouillon cube or broth, but so much better. Seriously.
It dissolves really easily so I don’t have to spend unnecessary time stirring like mad trying to get granules to break apart, and the texture is smoooooth.
Try it.
It adds that “cooked all day” flavor to your favorite holiday recipes: from appetizers to side dishes to entrees, and there’s a wide variety of bases in a range of flavors to elevate your holiday meals to a whole new level.
So here’s how I used it to make this super yummy garlic and broccoli pasta dish.
I started by chopping up a broccoli crown into mini florets.
Then I brought a stockpot of water to a boil, and this is where my flavor secret came in. I used the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base to turn my pasta cooking water into a roasted chicken broth.
And that folks, is the best hack for putting extra flavor in your pasta.
I mixed in one teaspoon of concentrate for every eight ounces of water, brought it to a boil and then dropped my angel hair pasta into the broth and cooked it al dente.
But before I drained the pasta, I reserved about 2 cups of the liquid.
While the angel hair was cooking, I sauteed the broccoli and garlic with butter and red pepper flakes, then turned the heat to low and added the drained pasta back to the pan.
I poured in a cup of the reserved liquid and some butter and stirred that through until the butter melted.
Then I added the juice and zest of one lemon, some grated Parmesan cheese and a little more butter.
I used Parmesan cheese from a canister because I was in a hurry, but for even better flavor, grate some fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and use that.
I don’t recommend using the shredded Parmesan cheese in bags. I don’t like the way it tends to melt in clumps and globs.
Mix the garlic broccoli pasta well and serve. It’s ridiculously good!
Pin this broccoli garlic pasta recipe!
Garlic Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 broccoli crown cut into small florets
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it even spicier)
- 15 cups water
- 5 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- In large skillet, heat oil. Add broccoli florets and saute 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, saute another minute. Add butter, continue sauteeing until butter melts. Remove from heat; set aside.
- Heat water and Better Than Bouillon to a boil, stirring to mix paste into water. Add angel hair pasta; cook to al dente. Before draining, reserve about 2 cups of the pasta broth. Drain pasta.
- Add pasta, 1 cup of the reserved liquid to broccoli. Return to burner over medium heat, tossing contents to heat through. Add remaining butter and Parmesan cheese; mix to melt butter and combine. Add additional pasta water as desired. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest; toss to mix everything and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to try the timesaving and flavor-boosting Better Than Bouillon products for your upcoming holiday gatherings with friends and family.
I’m a big fan! I also used Better Than Bouillon in this pumpkin pasta with crispy fried sage and pine nuts and in these grilled foil packets.
Check out the Better Than Bouillon holiday microsite for more recipe ideas.
