- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 2 servings pasta + 1¼ cups parmesan
- Serving size: ½ of pasta recipe + 1 Tbsp. parmesan
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Giuseppe Federici has amassed over a million followers across TikTok and Instagram with his vegan takes on classic Italian recipes, and he says this easy broccoli pasta is one of his most viral recipes yet. “So many people tell me they make it at least once a week,” he writes in his new cookbook, Italian Cooking with Nonna. The dish is also a winner with his biggest cooking inspiration: his grandmother. “This is Nonna’s all-time favorite pasta dish. Nonna says she doesn't get to make it as often as she likes because Nonno only likes to eat pasta with tomato sauce every single day!” Try the tasty recipe, and check out our Q&A with Federici here!
From Italian Cooking with Nonna: 80+ Plant-Based Recipes Inspired by Classic Italian Dishes
Ingredients
FOR CASHEW PARMESAN
- 1⅓ cups raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
FOR PASTA
- 1 large head broccoli
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ leek
- 2 green onions
- 7 oz (200 g) pasta of your choice (farfalle, penne, orecchiette)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock seasoning mix
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted bread crumbs, plus extra
Instructions
- For Cashew Parmesan, combine all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend for around 30–60 seconds, until a fine powder is formed. Set aside.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil.
- Break or slice the broccoli into small chunks, keeping the stalks in too, and boil for 5–6 minutes.
- While the broccoli is cooking, finely slice the garlic, leek, and green onions. In a medium sauté pan cook over medium until soft (5–10 minutes), adding water, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
- Remove the cooked broccoli from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Don’t discard the water! Chop the broccoli into smaller chunks and add to the pan of leeks.
- Add your pasta to the same pan of water you used to cook the broccoli, and cook until al dente. Nonna’s favorite shape for this dish is farfalle or “butterfly,” but penne or orecchiette also work well.
- Season the broccoli mixture with salt and pepper. Dissolve the stock seasoning mix in a ladle of the pasta cooking water (approx. ½ cup [120ml]) and add to the vegetables.
- When the pasta is al dente, transfer it to the vegetable pan, add the bread crumbs, and mix everything together. Add another ladle of pasta water here, if needed, to help loosen the mixture.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately, with Cashew Parmesan, if you like, and extra toasted bread crumbs. Store leftover Cashew Parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Per serving (½ of pasta recipe + 1 Tbsp. parmesan): 480 calories, 93 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 6.5 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 17 g fiber, 8 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
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