Cavatelli and Broccoli is a classic Italian pasta dish made with an eggless pasta, fresh broccoli and roasted garlic.
One of our favorite meals is Cavatelli and Broccoli, but when I looked back I realized I never shared the recipe. Big OOPS! It's one of those meals that is super easy to make, doesn't require a lot of ingredients and is LOADED with flavor.
Most recipes are made using sliced or chopped fresh garlic, but with this recipe I took it a step further and roasted my garlic before adding it to the pasta. This gave the dish a really distinct flavor and my family really enjoyed it.
What is cavatelli?
Cavatelli is pasta made from a flour dough and resembles mini hot dog buns. Most often they're found in the freezer section in your local grocery store.
What makes them different than regular pasta is that they aren't made with eggs; however, some varieties can be made with ricotta cheese. In some parts of Italy, this pasta is also known as cictielli.
Ingredients Needed
For this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:
- Cavatelli Pasta
- Broccoli Florets - You can use steamed fresh broccoli or defrosted frozen broccoli florets
- Garlic
- Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
- EVOO
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Though there are a few steps to making this recipe, you can do all of them at the same time. The entire meal will be ready in about 40 minutes.
Step 1. Roast the garlic
Before making this recipe, you'll need to roast a whole head of garlic. This will make the garlic soft like butter and a little sweeter.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F; then peel most of the papery skin from the outside of the garlic. Cut off the top of the head with a sharp knife and place either in a garlic baker or in a sheet of aluminum foil.
Drizzle some oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap (or cover) the garlic. Roast for 30 minutes until the inside cloves are soft; then remove from the oven.
To remove the garlic squeeze each clove out of the papery shell. You can make this up to 3 days ahead and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Step 2. Cook the Cavatelli
As the garlic is roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with a little salt. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the cavatelli and cook 5-7 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
The cavatelli will start to float to the top when it's done. Drain the water from the pasta; then set aside.
Step 3. Cook the Broccoli
Technically, you can cook the broccoli and boil the water for the cavatelli at the same time. Here are two options:
- Fresh Broccoli
- trim the head into florets; then place in a steamer pot and steam until al dente and bright green
- Frozen Broccoli Florets
- add the broccoli to a small saucepan with a little water on top of the stove
- defrost in a microwave safe container or in the bag if using microwave approved packaging
How to assemble Cavatelli and Broccoli?
Now that you have all of the steps ready, it's now time to assemble the pasta dish. Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat.
Next, add the cooked broccoli, garlic, cavatelli, grated cheese and chicken broth to the pan and stir until blended and hot; approximately 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you prefer to use non-roasted garlic, slice the garlic into thin slices or chop fine. Add to the oil while it's heating in the skillet and saute for 30 seconds before adding the remaining ingredients.
Similar Pasta
If you can't find cavatelli, here are similar pasta shapes that you can substitute:
- Orecchiete
- Rotini
- Campanelle
- Small Shells
- Gnocchi
- Fusilli
- Gemelli
Cavatelli and Broccoli is one of our favorite, meatless meals though you can also include some cooked chicken or shrimp for added protein. Serve with crusty Italian bread and a tossed salad. ~Enjoy!
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Broccoli Recipes
- Broccoli and Cheese Risotto
- Asian Chicken and Broccoli
- Chicken Broccoli Penne Alfredo
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
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Cavatelli and Broccoli
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
For the Cavatelli and Broccoli
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- 24 ounces cavatelli
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- ¾ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
Roast the Garlic
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F; then peel most of the papery skin from the outside of the garlic. Cut off the top of the head with a sharp knife and place either in a garlic baker or in a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Drizzle some oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap (or cover) the garlic. Roast for 30 minutes until the inside cloves are soft; then remove from the oven.
- To remove the garlic squeeze each clove out of the papery shell. You can make this up to 3 days ahead and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the Cavatelli
- As the garlic is roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with a little salt. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the cavatelli and cook 5-7 minutes until the pasta is cooked. The cavatelli will start to float to the top when it's done. Drain the water from the pasta; then set aside.
Cook the Broccoli
- Fresh Broccoli-trim the head into florets; then place in a steamer pot and steam until al dente and bright green
- Frozen Broccoli Florets -defrost in a small saucepan with a little water on top of the stove or defrost in microwave according to package directions
Assemble the Cavatelli and Broccoli
- Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat.
- Next, add the cooked broccoli, garlic, cavatelli, grated cheese and chicken broth to the pan and stir until blended and hot; approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and/or crushed red pepper; serve immediately.
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