Craving a quick and tasty first course? Try the pasta with broccoli, cream, and cherry tomatoes, enveloping, delicate, and ultra-creamy! A vegetarian first course that’s really delicious!
If there’s a vegetable I particularly love and use often in the kitchen, it’s broccoli. Besides being very healthy, they can be used to prepare many genuine and tasty dishes!
I love them so much that I even created a collection of easy and tasty broccoli recipes!
The fettuccine with broccoli cream, cherry tomatoes, and taggiasca olives is one of those dishes you can prepare for any occasion! A great solution even for those always in a hurry!
To make it more colorful, I added cherry tomatoes and olives, but those who prefer can prepare it using just three ingredients: pasta, broccoli, and cream.
The only caution in preparing this dish is to serve it immediately to enjoy its full creaminess!
If you like simple, quick, and tasty first courses, don’t miss these delicious suggestions!
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 6.3 oz pasta (your choice, also gluten-free for those intolerant)
- 3.5 oz cream (lactose-free for those with intolerances)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8.8 oz broccoli (fresh or frozen)
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- to taste black peppercorns (only if liked)
- 10 taggiasca olives (only if liked)
- to taste salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste chopped parsley (not essential)
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- to taste chili pepper (dry or fresh to sauté the broccoli)
Tools
- Frying Pan
- Saucepan
- Ladle
- Colander
Steps
First, wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters.
Take a non-stick pan and pour a tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom.
Add the cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of dried oregano.
Add five or six taggiasca olives (if you don’t like them, you can skip them) and season with salt.
Cook on medium heat until the cherry tomatoes have wilted, then set them aside.
Meanwhile, while the cherry tomatoes are cooking, boil the broccoli in boiling water. After about 7-8 minutes, check the cooking.
Just pierce the hard part with the tines of a fork, if it’s tender, drain them; otherwise, continue until cooked. Do not discard the water.
In the same pan where you cooked the cherry tomatoes, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add a couple of garlic cloves and the well-drained broccoli. Season with salt and a bit of chili pepper if you like.
Add a few more taggiasca olives and sauté the broccoli for a few minutes on medium heat.
Boil the fettuccine in the broccoli cooking water (if necessary, add more and bring it back to a boil before adding the pasta).
I chose fettuccine, but any shape is fine, even gluten-free for those who are intolerant.
In the pan where you cooked the broccoli, add a couple of tablespoons of cooking cream.
Pour half a ladle of cooking water inside and mix gently. The sauce is ready!
Drain the pasta al dente into the saucepan and add another tablespoon of cream (only if necessary).
A sprinkle of black pepper, a little cooking water to make the pasta creamier, and mix.
Finish with a handful of fresh chopped parsley (I put it everywhere because I love it, but if you don’t like it, no problem!)
Plate the pasta with broccoli and cream and place some cherry tomatoes with taggiasca olives on each plate.
A sprinkle of grated parmesan and your first course with broccoli, cream, and cherry tomatoes is ready!
Serve hot and enjoy your meal!
I hope you liked this recipe! Let me know in the comments if you try it ❤️
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
For this recipe, I used Fettuccine from Pastificio Sorrentino, Gragnano Pasta IGP, a kind gift (#gifted).
Discover here all the recipes made with their products 🩷
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use fresh cream instead of cooking cream?
Absolutely! I had a pack of cooking cream in my pantry, which is certainly more practical because it has a longer shelf life, but if you have fresh cream in the fridge, it’s perfectly fine!
What can I use instead of cherry tomatoes?
Actually, this first course would already be complete and perfect using just broccoli and cream, which together form a creamy and truly tasty sauce! I wanted to add cherry tomatoes for a matter of color, a touch that I like to give to my dishes, but they can also be omitted.
If you prefer to enrich the pasta with other ingredients, try for example with mushrooms, for a vegetarian version. Or speck or smoked bacon, they fit perfectly!Can I replace taggiasca olives with black olives in brine?
If you like them more, yes 😉
I’m lactose intolerant, how can I replace the cream?
Actually, it’s not necessary because, as I used myself, you can find lactose-free cooking cream at the supermarket.
I don’t like cooking cream, how can I replace it?
You can simply use a few tablespoons of milk until you reach the desired consistency. Or replace it with ricotta or spreadable fresh cheese.
