My easy vegan broccoli pasta cooks up in minutes and is bursting with flavor! Made with tender broccoli florets and penne in a light lemon olive oil sauce, this dish is so simple, but so scrumptious, and perfect for a weeknight!
I'll be frank: I have a tendency to resist pasta dishes like this one. I'm a sauce kind of girl. I grew up in a family where spaghetti with marinara sauce was at least a weekly thing (at least!), and while we occasionally ventured out and tried a different type of sauce, we rarely went with something so minimalist as olive oil and lemon juice. I'm also quite obsessed with saucy dishes like my vegan pasta puttanesca, vegan pasta alla vodka, and vegan fettuccine Alfredo.
But you know what? I've always ordered olive oil pasta dishes at restaurants, and loved them. I decided it was time to start exploring dishes like this one in my own kitchen.
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I made the right decision! My vegan lemon broccoli pasta is made with a very basic, very light sauce, making it super easy to whip up, but it's also surprisingly satisfying, and loaded with flavor. Not to mention the fact that broccoli, one of my favorite veggies and an absolute nutritional powerhouse, is the star!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Penne pasta. I like this dish with penne, but you can substitute just about any variety of dried pasta. Try spaghetti, rigatoni, or orchiette.
- Broccoli. We're using fresh broccoli here. Fresh in essential because you can cook it up tender-crisp, which is the perfect texture for pairing it with pasta.
- Olive oil. Use a good quality olive oil and don't skimp on it. Olive oil is crucial to preventing a pasta dish that uses a light sauce like this one from turning out dry.
- Garlic. This is our key ingredient for packing in the flavor. Use plenty of garlic! If you're one of those people who always throws extra garlic into a recipe, go for it. You won't hurt my feelings. If you tend to cut back on the amount (why?), please don't do it. I'll know.
- Lemon juice. Make sure it's freshly squeezed! Bottled lemon juice is lacking in flavor, and just won't cut it in a dish like this one.
- Nutritional yeast flakes. These are totally optional, but they add a savory, cheesy flavor to the pasta. Look for them in the natural foods section of your supermarket.
- Lemon zest.
- Salt & pepper.
- Red pepper flakes. You can leave these out if you'd like a milder version of the dish.
- Fresh basil or parsley.
Tip: Not a fan of broccoli? Try subbing another veggie. Cauliflower, kale, and asparagus are all good choices.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Boil your pasta, and broccoli. Start with the pasta, then add the broccoli to the pot when the pasta has 30 seconds left to go. Drain them together into a colander.
Step 2: Sauté your garlic. Heat the olive oil, then add your minced garlic. Cook it for about a minute, making sure to stir so it doesn't burn.
Tip: Don't forget to salt your pasta water. This goes for pretty much any pasta dish, and it does a lot to enhance flavor!
Step 3: Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Stir the mixture well to distribute the olive oil, and cook everything for about a minute or two.
Step 4: Take the skillet off of heat, then stir in the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes, if you're using them.
Step 5: Finish the dish of with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil.
Step 6: Your vegan broccoli pasta is ready to enjoy! You can serve it alone, or with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese, if you'd like.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover lemon broccoli pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat it in the microwave, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl, add a splash of water, then cover it with a damp paper towel. Zap for about two minutes per serving. Alternatively, reheat it in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, adding about two tablespoons of water per serving.
Variations
- Pesto broccoli pasta. Add a few tablespoons of vegan pesto sauce for an extra flavor punch.
- Roasted broccoli pasta. Instead of blanching the broccoli with the pasta, roast it. Toss the florets in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, then roast then in a 400°F oven for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Creamy lemon broccoli pasta. For a creamy sauce, add a half cup of full-fat coconut milk or vegan heavy cream alternative in step three.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
I don't recommend it, as your pasta will probably come out dry. At most, I'd cut back by a tablespoon or two. If you're absolutely opposed to oil, best go with a sauced pasta. I have lots of vegan pasta recipes (and many can easily be made oil-free).
Technically, yes, but it's not the best idea. Frozen broccoli is partially cooked, and it would be difficult to achieve the tender-crisp texture were going for with this recipe if you use it.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried penne pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets (1 large or 2 small crowns)
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, setting the timer for your pasta to cook to al dente. When the pasta has 30 seconds of cook time remaining, stir in the broccoli. Cook the pasta and broccoli until the timer goes off (the broccoli should have turned bright green — if not, give it a few more seconds), then drain them together into a colander.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté it, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and broccoli. Stir everything to coat the pasta and broccoli with the olive oil, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until heated throughout.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
- Sprinkle with parsley or basil.
- Divide onto plates and serve.
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Absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make. The recipe contains some of my favourite ingredients and is ready to eat in next to no time. This is going to be one of my regular 'must have' meals especially as one batch will make enough for a substantial meal for three nights. Yummmmmmmmmmm
I'm usually a saucy pasta person, but this was SO GOOD just as it was! The leftovers make great pasta salad, too, if you add a little vegan mayo.
Thanks for another amazing recipe! I zested and juiced a whole lemon vs. measuring, and I might have had more broccoli than called for, but otherwise followed to a T
Really good and satisfying. Lemon zest and juice really class up a recipe. I used red lentil penne pasta. I salted the pasta water and didn't need any additional salt. Which is great as I'm watching my sodium. I'm thinking I will reduce the amount of pasta and add some white or pinto beans for a complete meal. Thank you for a great way to add broccoli to my diet.
I LOVED this recipe! The flavors are bold and compliment each other very well. I will be making this again and again!
Quick, easy and delicious! My whole family loved it! Thanks!
I cannot get over how incredible and delicious this pasta recipe was! Not time consuming at all and everyone in my family loved it! Thank you Alissa for sharing this delicious recipe!
Looks great! Will give it a try. I track how much fiber we eat, and I am having trouble getting the math to work on the fiber in this meal. Per my calculations, broccoli comes in at 2.5 grams per serving, and penne pasta (unless whole wheat comes in less than 2 grams. Can you please clarify or correct? Thanks so much, cheri
Hi Cheri! The numbers are just estimates and will depend on what brands you use, etc., Here's a link to the nutrition calculator I use: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 - you should be able to plug in the recipe and specify what you use and get a good approximation!
I’ve made this 3 times. We love it. I use spelt pasta and once I substituted asparagus for the broccoli.
You should know, Google ads are blocking your recipe. I x out the ad and tell google why I don't want to see it, but then there's a big white space where the ad was and the recipe should be. If you don't get rid of the ad, then it blocks your copy. Maybe google needs to rethink how they do this. I was trying to figure out if I wanted to try your recipe (sounds great). I would have just left your site and come back again, but I have it bookmarked and would have to again scroll through my 10,000 bookmarks, which I didn't want to do. Not your bad--it's googles!
Thanks for another tasty recipe! Question: I can't always get fresh lemons where I live. I have seen dried lemon zest before. Would that work if I rehydrated it fir a few minutes before adding?
I'm glad you like it! I've never cooked with dried lemon zest before, but I think it should work just fine.
I use a whole lemon for the rind and add all the juice which is much more than 2 tablespoons, but it's ok - this is a very tasty meal!
I also skip the salt and add some cashew nuts at the end to give it a bit of crunch.
Nice vegan recipe - I strongly recommend doubling the lemon zest and more than doubling the garlic. And yes, be careful not to overcook the pasta. Brown rice pasta works well for gluten-free cooking.
I was surprised how tasty this was given how simple the recipe seems! I did add some sun-dried tomatoes to the dish because I thought it would be pretty. And tasty, of course. Will be adding this to the summer rotation.
Sun-dried tomatoes sound like a great addition! I'm so glad you like it!
Lol... how is a serving 499 calories? Why not 500? How many does this serve? Thanks...
You'll get 4 pretty generous servings out of this. 499 is the number that my nutrition calculator gave me, and it's my practice not to round. :)
I’m going to make a big batch if this and see if the leftovers are as good cold. I love pasta recipes as meal prep because they don’t tend to go mushy or weird after a couple of days.
I think this one should be pretty good cold. Enjoy!
Mine got mushy
Sorry to hear that! Keep an eye on the pasta while it boils - it sounds like it may have been overcooked.
I made a similar dish a few months ago, but I did some things differently. I cut the broccoli florets off the stems and airfried them at 450 til they got a little crispy around the edges. while that was happening, I blended the (peeled; optional) stems with ~3/4 cup of reconstituted powdered milk, and heated it in the microwave. I added a tablespoon of white bread flour and a tablespoon of masa to create a roux with the sauté oil. The starchy masa makes a really good body to the roux, but you have to be ready with the hot liquid; it can go from perfectly golden brown to burned in the time it takes to get the liquid out of the microwave. I also sauteed some diced onion and julienned sweet red pepper for flavor/color
not vegan anymore