I am all about easy right now! For my family dinners pasta is a huge go to. Its easy, fast and I can prepare it so many different ways. This Cavatelli with a Creamy Broccoli Sauce was a big hit my family and I hope you’ll love it too!
If you are an Italian American or just love Italian food then you know cavatelli and broccoli is a pretty common combo. The way you’ll likely find it is the cavatelli tossed with a lot of olive oil, garlic and broccoli. My Cavatelli with a Creamy Broccoli Sauce is like the title says- creamy and so delicious!! There are a handful of ingredients and thats it! Dinner is on the table in no time at all.
The sauce is really really easy to make. Simply cut up a couple broccoli crowns and cook in boiling water until just tender. Some garlic is sautéed in olive oil then gets popped into a food processor with the broccoli. Pulse until smooth. Oh and a quick note on the cavatelli- I absolutely prefer the dried version rather then the frozen. I find the frozen gets so gummy and the dry does not.
Pop into a bowl and season with salt and lots of black pepper. Stir in mascarpone and pecorino cheeses and toss with al dente cavatelli! I’m telling you this one is so good! Mascarpone is amazing, have you used it? It works in both sweet and savory dishes- sort of like an Italian version of cream cheese. It provides the perfect creaminess in this dish! I also LOVE using it in my bolognese sauce. Just before serving, stir in a whole bunch and wow!
Side note…. thanks for being patient. I know things have been super quiet here on the blog but no worries I am not going anywhere. We’ve been dealing with a really scary health problem with my mother in law and as always- family first. I am slowly making my way back to things but life is far from normal right now. If you are the praying type- we’ll take all the prayers we can. It has been a VERY difficult 10 1/2 weeks.
- 17 oz pkg dried cavatelli
- 2 broccoli crowns, large stems removed
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- ¼ cup pecorino cheese
- plenty of pepper
- salt
- Get a big pot of water boiling. Cut the broccoli into florets. Cook in salted water until just tender and still a nice bright green. Strain and set aside leaving the water in the pot.
- Add he cavatelli to the same pot and cook to al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking add the olive oil and garlic to a small sauté pan and cook until just softened.
- Add the broccoli and garlic oil into a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Pour the broccoli into a large bowl and stir in the mascarpone and pecorino cheeses. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There should be about 2½ cups of filling.
- Toss in the drained pasta to coat.
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