Broccoli Pasta Sauce

5 from 3 votes

Make a vibrant, nutrient-packed 30-minute dinner with healthy, high-protein broccoli pasta sauce and al dente pasta. A crowd-pleasing, dairy-free, meat-free meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dips and Sauces

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: to 6

Calories: 677kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

½ teaspoon of salt
1 pound of fresh broccoli
1 pound of pasta of your choice
¼ cup of neutral oil
1 (12.3-ounce) box of silken tofu
1 medium carrot roughly chopped
1 lemon
6 garlic cloves peeled and halved
1 red onion sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
Crushed red pepper
¼ cup of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot with a lid, fill a pot with enough water to cook the pasta, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the water, and bring to a boil. Before cooking the pasta, place the whole broccoli heads in the boiling water until they become bright green. Carefully remove and place them in a bowl or on a cutting board to cool.
While the broccoli cools, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, but remove the pasta 2 minutes before the recommended time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
Dry the inside of the pot and over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions and garlic are lightly charred. Turn off the stove and scoop out the onions and garlic into the cup of a food processor or blender, leaving the oil in the pot for a later step.
In the cup of the food processor or blender, blend the onion, garlic, tofu, broccoli, carrots, juice of half a lemon, nutritional yeast, salt, crushed red pepper, and basil. Blend for one minute or until creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Turn on the stove and heat the pot with the oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli sauce and cook for 5 minutes regularly mixing. Turn off the stove and add in the pasta. Mix well and add the pasta water. Place the lid on for 5 minutes for the pasta to absorb the flavor and serve.

Notes

Cook the pasta al dente: This ensures it doesn’t become too mushy after combining it with the sauce.

Reserve pasta water: The starchy liquid brings the sauce to the correct consistency, and the starches are great for helping it cling to pasta.

For lower-powered blenders: Boil/steam the broccoli until tender so they are easier to blend into a smooth sauce. The quickest and easiest way is to boil them in with the pasta, scooping it out before draining the pasta.

Nutrition