One of the things I’ve learned about eating on a budget is that simple recipes win. The fewer ingredients you need, the fewer ingredients you need to buy, and that generally helps keep that grocery bill low (not to mention, it makes cooking easy). So, when I was planning for the first week of my September Challenge, my favorite dinner “cheat” recipe came to mind. Bowties and Broccoli, FTW.
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Use Any Shape Pasta
But just to be clear, you can use any shaped pasta for this dish. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever pasta you have on hand, so it’s that one meal option that I always have the ingredients for on hand.
As I mentioned, this is my favorite substitute for “real” dinner when I’m tired and hungry. I usually have all these ingredients on hand and it only takes minutes to throw together. Sometimes, I’ll boil extra pasta, freeze the leftovers in single serving freezer bags, then I can just toss the frozen pasta and broccoli into a bowl and microwave for a minute or two until hot. Then it’s even faster than fast! Either way, these few ingredients make an incredibly tasty, filling, and easy meal on the fly. #winning
Make Six Servings or One Serving
The quantities on the recipe card below are for six servings of the Bowties and Broccoli. I generally make one serving at a time. To find the quantities for one serving, scroll down to the step by step photos.
Bowties and Broccoli
Servings 6Ingredients
- 12 oz. pasta ($1.00)
- 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets ($1.69)
- 3 Tbsp butter ($0.30)
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.31)
- Salt to taste ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked pepper to taste ($0.10)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil until the pasta is al dente (7-10 minutes). Add the frozen broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water, turn off the heat, and let sit for 1-2 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
- Transfer the pasta and broccoli back to the pot (with the heat off) or to a bowl and add the butter. Toss until the butter has melted and coated everything. Add the Parmesan, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes, then toss to coat again. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Bowties and Broccoli – Step by Step Photos
It always amazes me how just a couple of ingredients can make such a satisfying meal. This really is SO simple and SO good. I keep these ingredients stocked and eat this often. This is all I need for about six servings (not all of the butter, Parm, and pepper were used for six servings).
If you’re making one serving at a time, you can either estimate 1/6th of the bag of pasta, or check the back to see if it gives a volume of dry pasta for the serving size. The measurement will change depending on the shape of the pasta, but for this bowtie shape 1/6th of the bag is roughly 3/4 cup. So that helps me keep serving sizes in check.
First bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil the pasta just until it’s tender (7-10 minutes). Once tender, add the frozen broccoli (estimate an equal volume to the pasta) directly to the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute or two, or just until the broccoli is slightly tender, but has a bit of crunch left and is still bright green. If you prefer your broccoli a lot softer, you can leave the heat on for a minute or so and let it continue to boil, but I prefer mine to still have some tooth.
Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
Transfer the drained pasta and broccoli to a bowl, or back to the cooking pot (with the heat off). Add 1/2 Tbsp butter for each serving you’re preparing, then toss until the butter melts and coats everything.
Once everything is coated in melted butter, sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan for each serving, plus salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (if desired).
Toss briefly again so that everything is coated in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Easy, enjoyable, and just over 50 cents per bowl!
Look forward to getting recipies
This is such an easy and delicious dish. My husband loves this!
Times are tough right now so I went looking for cheap eats. I found Bowties and Broccoli and made it tonight. WOW!!! So good. I live alone and this is perfect to make for one.
I can’t wait to try this mixed with shrimp and sundried tomatoes sautéed in butter and garlic. Yummy! That’s going to be my dinner tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipe!
I cut up a couple of ham steaks and add it to this dish. My family loves this!
I wanted to love this because of the simplicity, but I just couldn’t. It lacks flavor, even with an abundance of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Try adding cheese and ham! 🙂
I love this recipe I would make it weekly if I could its so simple and cheap yet so delish
So good!! I added a little lemon juice and garlic!!
best recipe ever
So simple yet SO good! Will definitely do this recipe again in the future.
I love this
I’m about to make a batch for the week, I know you said I could freeze it, but can I just refrigerate it? Because I’ll definitely be digging into it often : )
Yes most definitely!
same
Amazing! this is something very unique and definitely a healthy recipe, also it is not very time consuming
thank you so much!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I added a little butter and some chili flake to it. Had some for lunch today with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed over the top. I only have one problem. I made WAY TO MUCH and and by myself. Do you think it’s freezable? I don’t want to see it wasted :)
Hi Tammi! Yes you could definitely freeze it for later.
Tried this tonight and it was SO good!! I added some garlic salt to taste and that just amped it up! Next time I might add some crumbled bacon. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Bacon can’t hurt!
Sounds GREAT……..nutrition value????????
Thanks for the request! We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
Love this idea, definitely trying it this week!! My husband and I usually just do bowtie noodles with ground beef and sauce, so this will be a nice change!! Only thing I would add is some alfredo sauce
That would be great to try Jessica! Let us know :)
Hi Beth, Literally just found this recepe online and ran to the market to grab the ingredients. Hope it comes out good
Let us know Naomie!
wow! this is something very unique and definitely a healthy recipe, also it is not very time consuming
thank you so much!
Thank you!!! I am attempting to actually! start cooking good meals for the first time and this was perfect! This is such a step up from pasta and plain tomato sauce. Graduating from my Grad program this year means I gotta step up my game and start NOT living like a student. I look forward to reading more recipes. It was so great! Thanks!
If you have a little extra time and are looking to elevate the dish, roast the broccoli in olive oil or butter at 425° for about 15 minutes, then add minced garlic in the last couple minutes or so – throw it all in the pot with the fully-cooked and drained pasta and enjoy!
Came across this recipe awhile back and OMG it’s one of those really easy recipes that actually taste awesome!! My daughter LOVES this and it has become a staple in our household. :-)
This is one of those insanely easy, everyone likes it meals that we have the ingredients for at all times in our home. It has saved us from the I’m lazy, let’s get take-out trap on sooo many occasions. Thank you Beth!!!
Sounds very good to me.I always find something to eat and then go get one and only other half to try ,haven’t been doing that bad so farc
I made this one a few weeks ago with broccoli and spinach and loved it. And I’m planning to make it again this week, though probably not with spinach because I’m out. But I might add some cannellini beans for an additional nutrient boost and flavor. We’ll see what I have in my pantry. I’ve even added this one to my blog (https://alongthecamelride.com/2018/11/12/how-to-eat-a-deliciously-healthy-diet-on-a-budget/) because it’s healthy, economical, and tasty. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Follow-up: I made this meal again this week and sauteed garlic in the butter this time. It was even better! As much as I love this recipe, I’m going to try it with EVOO just to see what it’s like. But I love this option as is and am sad I only have half a serving left. It’s a great combination of healthy comfort food.
Perfect Monday meal. Quick and easy! Paired with a rotisserie chicken!
Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe! Super quick to make and definitely budget friendly. My 7 year old even loved it. And the leftovers are always a plus for my family.
This was so good, and easy too! It was even good leftover the next day. I I added a clove of garlic (sauteed it for a minute in the hot pot, after draining the pasta and broccoli).
Tried the recipe and it turned out delicious. Will try tweaking like others have suggested in the future and a great quick dinner to whip up.
I just want to thank you for posting the recipe at the top and then going into the wordy step-by-step. It really helps while I’m actually cooking to not have to scroll 3/4 down the page to find the recipe! This is also a very tasty quick meal for those nights where everyone is tired and grumpy and just wants food NOW.
Thank you for your appreciation! :)
It was ok. Tastes exactly as it reads, simple, frozen. My husband didn’t like it, and neither did my kids. I would spend the extra money and buy fresh broccoli, high quality pasta, and fresh parmesan. To make this with the cheapest ingredients possible as shown in the photo, you can taste it, but as a cheap meal for one…it does the trick!
Just tried this recipe, and it was surprisingly satisfying. I often make a boxed Fettuccine Alfredo product and jazz it up with chicken or broccoli, and I thought I’d hate this without a cheesy sauce, but it really is delicious. I did make two variations, however. I added a pan seared marinated chicken breast (Chopped up) and I used frozen broccoli, par cooked in the microwave and then finished in a pan with butter, salt, and pepper. I think a little heat and color brings a lot of flavor. (Keep in mind that you added fat to cook the chicken and broccoli, however, and reduce the butter in your noodles!) I want to try it with roasted broccoli, if I have an hour to spend on this dish some time.
I just made this. 1) Where was this when I was in college!? Haha, this would have been great back then. But 2) it’s delicious!! I added 1 extra tbsp of parmesan, and used garlic salt instead of regular salt, and no red pepper flakes… and it’s absolutely perfect. Almost feels like comfort food without all of the extra fat that comes with comfort food.
This is one of my favorites from your site. A fried egg over top is the best.
so easy, simple and good!
I did half frozen broccoli, half edamame. 😘👌
I would love to have the nutritional info for this great recipe
I’ve been stuck in the house for several days with the hurricane and am low on food but I had everything to make this today and it rocked! A great, quick, meal to make with ingredients you already have on hand.
Garlic is a must for this recipe, either fresh or powder is fine. I also add a small bit if white wine to blend with the cheese and butter, almost making it into a sauce.
Definitely garlic, preferably fresh! And a good idea with the white wine..
This was really good. I used fresh broccoli since it was on super sale (6 lbs for a little under $6) and cooked the florets with garlic instead of boiling them. I also added extra cheese to this because we are a cheese loving family but it needed to be used anyway.
I keep making this recipe and I love it. It’s a my go-to food when I am in a rush. Nine minutes and it’s ready!
I jazzed up this recipe a bit by adding a chicken breast and a quarter cup of unsalted roasted sun flower seeds, and it was delicious.
This recipe is so simple to make, but so tasty and filling. Since I’e come across it, I make it about once a week.
I loved the simplicity of this recipe, and it tasted so good afterward. Great dish that’s quick and easy to make.
Made this tonight and enjoyed it so much, thanks for all the amazing recipes.
Just made this for dinner but I made my own bechamel sauce and added the Parmesan to the sauce as well as a bit sprinkled on top. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
This sounds delicious but i’m really curious if you could add a splash of lemon juice to it. Beth what do you think?
You could, but I think I’d try lemon zest before lemon juice. I think that lemony essence would be better than the tartness you get from juice, but that’s just my taste. :)
You really have to take into account the size of the broccoli florets, though. Mine came probably in bigger chunks than yours and even though I boiled them for two minutes, some of the bigger one remained frozen on the inside. Not the kind of crunch I was looking for.
While not as pretty as using just bowties, it’s also a good way to use up small amounts of extra pasta. There are three of us, and I usually cook 3/4 pound of pasta for most dishes. I’m then left with multiple boxes of pasta in the pantry with about 1/4 pound each. As long as you combine pastas of similar density (and cooking time) it works. Not photo worthy, but just as tasty!
Great recipe! This is my go-to for potlucks or cookouts. I use olive oil instead of butter and sautee minced garlic and ~1Tbs of anchovy paste to hot oil in place of salt before tossing it with the hot pasta and broccoli. Anchovy paste lasts a looong time in the fridge (you can find the paste in a tube) and it adds such a great salty/unami flavor. I swear you don’t even taste the fish, it just kinda melts in with the rest of the flavors–I’ve asked people to name the secret ingredient and they never can!
Great recipe!
(For a slightly different, nuttier flavor at no additional cost, you can brown the butter while the pasta cooks. And for a little extra protein, I tossed in a handful of toasted nuts–I used almonds, but I think walnuts would be better.)
Just found your blog few days ago and I really enjoy it! I was actually thinking that I spent too much $ on my grocery bill so trying to lower it has become a challenge. I tried your recipe tonight and it’s really great! Yummy :)
I found you over a year ago and love it more each day. This challenge has come at a time when Las vegas has cut snap almost in half and I have less budget that ever,$35 a week for a family of 3, and you are my savior again. This is a recipe my 8 year old son ate last night for dinner and ask today if he could take it to school for lunch. Thank you.
This was yummy! I used all the ingredients listed here but then added a few more since I had some things on hand that needed used up in my fridge — 1 cup of leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, and a teaspoon of minced garlic. My six year old gobbled it up and even asked that I put it in his thermos for lunch today!
This was really good! I used fresh parm since I saved so much on the pasta and frozen brocolli.
Hard to beat a super easy week-night meal where you get to have pasta, veggies, butter and cheese- and feel good about it:)
Thanks for sharing this byte:)
Would you be amenable to posting your weekly meal plans during this challenge. That is, if you write them down somewhere. It would be super helpful.
I plan most of it in my head because I only make 2-3 recipes for the whole week (I only have my mouth to feed), but I talk a little about the planning process in the weekly summaries. I just posted the first summary today. :)
Just saw it and it is super helpful. Thanks!
This is my go to dinner too-it’s just so dang good!! I also add a few spritzes of olive oil and some garlic salt (and maybe some seasoned breadcrumbs if I’m getting crazy), and it’s just my favorite! I’ve been making it since I was in high school for a quick go to meal, and it’s fun to hear I’m not alone! Buttered noodles for the win :)
Perfect dinner after a busy day. I love that it comes together quickly with ingredients that I usually have on hand. Thanks!
I’ve been following this website since last year’s SNAP challenge and it’s been a godsend! My partner and I are living in Japan and most recipe sites and books I’ve found are either way too difficult/expensive to shop for in Japan (whereas I can usually find everything or all but one item for yours in the local grocery here!), or too fattening for me. I also was diagnosed with chronic ITP a year and a half ago and had to basically toss all of my old standby recipes because they contained tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, blueberries, cranberries, or other foods I have to avoid now for my health, so finding such a trove of recipes to pick through and find things I can make work is magnificent. This is pretty much the best thing to happen to me all week: a recipe with literally no ingredients that I have to purchase at the import store, with no way-more-expensive-in-Japan-than-the-US ingredients, AND where I don’t have to alter anything to take out things that mess with my food allergies! I am seriously so excited for this recipe, and to try out ways to change it up so it can be a frequent meal without getting sick of it. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
This recipe is excellent with some simple sauteed chicken mixed in. :)
Hi, love your website and the idea of budgetbytes, I am wondering if you could share some recipes for eggplants or seafood dishes? Thanks so much!!
Yes, I plan to experiment more with seafood once the September Challenge is over. Here is what I have for eggplant so far, and here is my small seafood category. I hope that helps! :)
Hi Taylor,
How about using a marinara or tomato based sauce? Or maybe stirring in a couple tablespoons of hummus thinned a bit with some of the pasta water?
Fast and healthy – thanks Beth!
I don’t eat dairy, do you have another recommendation for sauce?
Olive oil and nutritional yeast?
Hmm, this one is definitely a dairy based recipe. The butter and Parmesan are what make this what it is. I’m not sure you could substitute them and have it be even a little bit similar. You’d pretty much be making a new recipe at that point. :) I’ll brainstorm to see if I can come up with anything just as easy and delicious (but different) that doesn’t include dairy over the next couple of weeks.
I used earth balance in the light yellow tub, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, garlic salt and a little bit of pasta water. Cheese on the side to add per bowl. You could add some mashed white beans and some whole to make a bit more filling and make a bit more sauce too. We used cauliflower because I didn’t have any broccoli on hand.
What about lemon and olive oil?
I’d probably just go for a simple tomato based sauce.
I used Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks and made some vegan parmesan to replace the dairy! It came out delicious :)
Mmm! Tasty! I love bowties and broccoli so this is definitely an attractive combination I’d like to taste it!
Hmm, that looks tasty. I’d probably add some protein myself to make it a bit more filling – maybe an egg, some tofu, or some ham!
The bowtie shape of the pasta is so cute and make this easy to prepare dish looks so cute! Thanks for sharing!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.com
I’m not a big fan of broccoli, would any other veggies work good in this recipe?
You could almost do any frozen vegetable, but the texture of broccoli works the best, IMHO.
this is perfect for my kids lunches! Thanks for the tips
I do exactly this with frozen peas instead of broccoli! “Peas and Pasta” has a bit of a ring to it too :) Sometimes I’ll throw an egg through too in an attempt at carbonara.
This seems like a nice working day dish! How much do the instructions depend on the kind of pasta? I have leftover penne and rotini that I’d like to use.
^That may or may not be a stupid question, but the only time my “Wonderpot” recipe went wrong was when I added penne instead of some long pasta, so I’m worried about interchanging pasta kinds.
For this one it doesn’t matter much because you’re pretty much cooking the pasta on its own, so you can adjust the cook time to whatever is needed. :) (not a stupid question!)
I like this a lot for a quick easy meal! If you make enough for leftovers its even because you can always add some sausage and smoked gouda to make the Budget Bytes spicy sausage & broccoli recipe which is one of my standbys! Great work Beth!
That sounds delicious!!! My sister isn’t fond of vegetarian dishes, so adding sausage would be ideal!!! :-)