Creamy Broccoli Cheese Pasta Recipe Is a High-Protein Vegetarian Dinner or Side Dish (7 Ingredients, 15 Minutes) High Protein Recipes Shortcut Recipes Side Dishes Pasta Vegetarian Lunch Dinner Vegetables

If you love broccoli, cheese, pasta and anything creamy, this is the pasta recipe for you. This easy, creamy high-protein broccoli pasta recipe has a double dose of broccoli flavor, and can be a vegetarian main dish or a side dish with your favorite dinners. The double dose of broccoli flavor comes from broccoli and a can of cream of broccoli soup, which is a condensed soup that should get more attention.

My two favorite recipes using condensed cream of broccoli soup are quinoa broccoli cheese casserole and creamy Asian beef broccoli. That is, until this creamy broccoli pasta was spooned onto my plate. The creamy, cheesy pasta is loaded with broccoli flavor and goes well with any protein. (Check out the health benefits of broccoli.)

You only need seven simple ingredients to make this shortcut pasta side dish recipe. Here is your short shopping list: pasta, a can of cream of broccoli soup, frozen broccoli (you could use fresh broccoli, just be sure it is cooked), milk, cheese (cheddar, gruyere, Swiss, pepper-jack, Muenster or whatever you like), garlic powder and onion powder. The pasta recipe cooks up in about 10 minutes.

Serve the creamy broccoli cheese pasta as a vegetarian lunch or dinner, or as a side dish with chicken, beef, pork, lamb, seafood or turkey. I served mine with baked pork chops.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 cups) short pasta (I used elbow macaroni)
• 10.5 ounces (1 can) cream of broccoli soup
• 10 ounces (1 package) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 cup milk (I used evaporated milk)
• 1 cup grated cheese (I used Muenster) 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, put the remaining ingredients into a saucepot. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. (I added black pepper but no additional salt. You could use fresh broccoli florets, but be sure to cook them to desired tenderness first.)
3. Cook on low heat until the cheese melts and the sauce is heated through.
4. Add the pasta.
5. Stir to combine. Serve as a vegetarian main dish or side dish. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily. Food, fun, health, happiness.