Easy Broccoli Carrot Pasta
Super simple and yet delicious, this easy pasta is total comfort food mixed with the colorful veggies we all need. Lemon, garlic, and a hint of red pepper wake up the flavors for a dinner everyone can feel good about.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-12 ounces pasta any shape
- 1-2 cups baby carrots or peeled and thinly-sliced whole carrots
- 2-3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup frozen peas
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice from 1 medium lemon, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan plus more to taste
- red pepper flakes and parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and add a generous pinch of salt. When boiling, stir in the pasta and cook just to al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, use a liquid measuring up to scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the rest of the water and set pasta aside.8-12 ounces pasta
- While waiting for the water to boil and pasta to cook, start the veggies. Fill a medium saucepan with about one inch of water and place a steamer basket on top. Bring the water to a boil, then add carrots to the steamer basket. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the broccoli florets and cover again. Add the peas after another 2-3 minutes, then cover again and continue to cook until the veggies are bright in color and tender-crisp. At that point, remove them from the heat and set aside.1-2 cups baby carrots, 2-3 cups broccoli florets, 1 cup frozen peas
- When the veggies are almost done, begin the sauce. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the steamed veggies and toss to coat, then add the drained pasta and toss again.4 Tablespoons butter, 2-3 cloves garlic
- Add lemon juice, Parmesan, and about half of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the cheese smooths out into a thin sauce, adding more pasta water if needed.2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- Sample and season with salt, pepper, and more lemon to taste. (I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 8-10 cracks of black pepper, but this will vary according to your taste.) Serve with generous sprinklings of red pepper and parsley, if desired. Enjoy!kosher salt and black pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley
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Notes
- Nutritional info is an estimate based on all ingredients divided among 4 servings, so if you need extra specific information, be sure to plug the exact brand of ingredients you use into MyFitnessPal or a similar app to get the most accurate personalized outputs.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 402 kcal, Carbohydrates: 54 g, Protein: 14 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 269 mg, Potassium: 454 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 6 g, Vitamin A: 5389 IU, Vitamin C: 57 mg, Calcium: 157 mg, Iron: 2 mg