Italian · dinner, lunch

Italian Grandma's Pasta with Broccoli

Italian Grandma's Pasta with Broccoli — from Buon-A-Petitti's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 14:55

Video by Buon-A-Petitti on YouTube · Open on YouTube

30 minServes 6421 kcal a serve
  • Vegetarian with a vegetarian hard cheese instead of the pecorino Romano (traditionally made with animal rennet)
  • Nut-free

Contains: Gluten, Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A Puglian-style family pasta where broccoli makes up a big share of the plate: each serve has over 100 g of broccoli for vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, with olive oil as the main fat and only a little cheese.

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Ingredients 9

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it and cook the small broccoli pieces until tender. 1:26
  2. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a wide pan and gently fry the chopped garlic with the hot pepper flakes, without letting the garlic brown. 2:30
  3. Lift the broccoli into the garlic oil with a splash of its cooking water and let it cook a few minutes more until it breaks down almost like a cream. Keep the broccoli water boiling. 4:19
  4. Cook the pasta in the same broccoli water until just al dente, then drain and toss it into the broccoli pan, adding a little more cooking water if it looks dry. 6:02
  5. Season with black pepper and salt to taste, stir in the grated Pecorino Romano and serve with a little extra cheese on top. 7:26

Tip. Serves about 6 (1 lb of pasta; our estimate). Use wholewheat pasta for more fibre, or add a can of cannellini beans for extra protein. Reheat leftovers with a splash of water.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 6

Energy421 kcal1,760 kJ
Protein16 g32% of a day
Fibre6 g22% of a day
Carbohydrate60 g54 g net · 3 g sugars22% of a day
Fat13 g3 g saturated17% of a day
Sodium550 mg24% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 55%
  • Protein 16%
  • Fat 29%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Lower-carb idea. About 90% of the 54 g of net carbs come from the pasta. To cut carbs, try half the pasta and more vegetables, or zucchini noodles.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin C High113%

102 mg a serve, mostly from broccoli (99%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin K High101%

121 µg a serve, mostly from broccoli (95%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Selenium High88%

48 µg a serve, mostly from pasta (90%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Folate High21%

84 µg a serve, mostly from broccoli (85%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin B6 Source19%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from broccoli (64%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc Source15%

1.6 mg a serve, mostly from pasta (52%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin E Source15%

2.3 mg a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (56%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Magnesium Source14%

59 mg a serve, mostly from pasta (51%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Calcium Source12%

162 mg a serve, mostly from pecorino Romano (57%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Potassium Source10%

450 mg a serve, mostly from broccoli (79%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Iron Source10%

1.8 mg a serve, mostly from pasta (46%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

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Omega-37%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (58%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin A6%

54 µg a serve, mostly from broccoli (65%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin B125%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from pecorino Romano (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve, mostly from pecorino Romano (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Buon-A-Petitti; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.