Fusilli Broccoli Cream

Amount	Ingredient
Calories	~585 kcal
Protein	18 g
Fat	28 g
Carbohydrates	66 g
Fibre	6 g
Sodium	~520 mg (varies with salt)

Fusilli with Broccoli Cream Sauce

Category: Primi piatti (First Courses)

Serves: 4

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Why This Recipe Works

Fusilli con crema di broccoli is a quietly brilliant Roman-style pasta that proves the best weeknight dinners come from the simplest ideas. Broccoli — humble, affordable, and universally available — is transformed into a silky, vividly green cream sauce that clings to every spiral of fusilli. The trick is twofold: cook the broccoli until just tender (not waterlogged) so its natural sweetness emerges, then purée it with cream to create a sauce that is simultaneously light and luxurious. A quick sizzle of garlic and chili flakes in olive oil wakes up the sauce with aromatic warmth, while a generous handful of salty, nutty Parmesan provides the finishing savory punch. The result is a dinner that tastes like far more than the sum of its parts — creamy, earthy, gently spicy, and utterly satisfying.

Ingredients

Equipment

• Large pot (5–6 qt / 5–6 L) for pasta
• Colander
• Chef's knife and cutting board
• Large skillet or sauté pan (12-inch / 30 cm)
• Immersion blender or standard blender
• Wooden spoon or tongs
• Box grater or Microplane (for Parmesan)
• Measuring cups and spoons

Key Steps at a Glance

1. Cook broccoli just until tender — Overcooking makes it waterlogged and muddy; undercooking leaves it fibrous.
2. Reserve pasta water — The starchy water is the secret weapon for adjusting sauce consistency.
3. Sauté garlic and chili gently — Low-to-medium heat prevents the garlic from burning and turning bitter.
4. Purée until completely smooth — A baby-smooth cream is what makes this dish sing.
5. Toss and adjust immediately — The sauce should coat each fusilli like a blanket, not pool at the bottom.

Instructions

#### 1. Prepare the Broccoli

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water (about 1 tbsp salt per 4 qt / 4 L of water) to a rolling boil. (The water should taste like the sea — this is your only chance to season the pasta from within.)
2. Meanwhile, trim the broccoli: cut the crown into small, bite-sized florets (about 2–3 cm / 1 inch across). Peel the thick stems with a vegetable peeler and slice them into ½ cm (¼ inch) rounds — stems are sweet and tender when peeled and should not be wasted.
3. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli florets and stem pieces. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and easily pierced with a paring knife but still has some structure. Do not overcook — mushy broccoli makes a dull, grey-green sauce.
4. Using a slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer the broccoli to a bowl or plate. Reserve the pot of boiling water for the pasta.

#### 2. Cook the Pasta

1. Return the pot of water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook according to package directions until al dente (typically 10–12 minutes).
2. Just before draining, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander — do not rinse. (Rinsing washes away the starch that helps the sauce cling.)

#### 3. Build the Sauce

1. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add the sliced garlic and chili flakes (to taste). Cook, stirring constantly, for 30–60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Do not let it brown — burnt garlic is acrid and will ruin the sauce.
3. Add the cooked broccoli and 200 ml heavy cream to the skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat.
4. Transfer the broccoli-cream mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the skillet). Purée until completely smooth and velvety, about 30–60 seconds. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water (1–2 tbsp at a time) and blend again.
5. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. The sauce should be creamy, sweet from the broccoli, and gently warm from the chili — adjust chili flakes now if needed.
6. Stir in 50 g (½ cup) finely grated Parmesan until fully incorporated and melted.

#### 4. Combine and Serve

1. Return the sauce to the skillet (if using a blender) and set over low heat. Add the drained fusilli and toss thoroughly with tongs or a wooden spoon until every spiral is coated in creamy green sauce.
2. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with additional reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it flows like heavy cream.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Divide among warm serving bowls. Top each portion with a generous dusting of freshly grated Parmesan and a pinch of chili flakes if desired.
5. Serve immediately — this dish waits for no one. The sauce thickens as it cools, and the pasta will continue to absorb liquid.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with a crisp green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil to cut the richness.
• A glass of crisp Italian white wine — such as Gavi di Gavi, Verdicchio, or a chilled Pinot Grigio — pairs beautifully.
• Crusty bread is optional but welcome — the sauce is too good to leave a drop behind.

Variations

• Vegan Fusilli con crema di broccoli: Substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream or a cashew cream (soaked cashews blended with water). Replace Parmesan with 3 tbsp nutritional yeast and an extra pinch of salt.
• Fusilli with Broccoli and Sausage: Brown 200 g (7 oz) of crumbled Italian sausage in the skillet before adding the garlic, then proceed. The savoury, fennel-spiced pork is a natural counterpoint to the sweet broccoli cream.
• Pasta alternatives: Fusilli's spirals are ideal, but casarecce, gemelli, trofie, or orecchiette all work well. Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine is not recommended — the sauce pools rather than clings.
• Make it spicier: Double the chili flakes and add a pinch of Calabrian chili paste along with the garlic.
• Add crunch: Toast ¼ cup of panko breadcrumbs in a dry skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil until golden, then sprinkle over each serving for texture.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Don't skip the broccoli stems. Peeled and sliced, they are every bit as tender and sweet as the florets. Throwing them away is throwing away half the broccoli.
• The sauce can be made ahead. Cook and purée the broccoli cream up to 2 days in advance. Reheat gently in a skillet, thinning with a splash of water or cream, before tossing with freshly cooked pasta.
• Rescue a broken sauce. If the sauce separates when reheated, whisk in 1–2 tbsp of hot pasta water or cream while blending with an immersion blender — it will come back together.
• Leftovers (if any): Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or milk. The sauce will have darkened slightly from oxidation, but the flavour remains excellent.

Nutritional Information (per serving, approx.)

Recipe converted to America's Test Kitchen-style format. Original source: Classic Italian home cooking — a quick, pantry-friendly Roman pasta that transforms everyday broccoli into a weeknight treasure.

Recipe from The Italian Kitchen by Vita Milanese — Volume 1 · Pasta Perfetto. Discover all volumes on the ebook page.