Bowties and Broccoli

$3.50 recipe / $0.58 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.79 from 37 votes
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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.

Overhead view of a bowl full of bowties and broccoli

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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.

Side view of a bowl full of bowties and broccoli
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Bowties and Broccoli

4.79 from 37 votes
This insanely simple dinner "cheat" is ready in minutes and will keep you full for hours. Bowties and Broccoli is my go-to lazy weeknight dinner.
Author: Beth Moncel
A close-up of bowtie pasta mixed with broccoli and sauce.
Servings 6
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 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)
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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.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 294.78kcalCarbohydrates: 47.47gProtein: 10.88gFat: 7.35gSodium: 250.55mgFiber: 4.5g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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How to Make Bowties and Broccoli – Step by Step Photos

Bowties and Broccoli Ingredients side by side

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).

nutrition label on package of bowties

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.

Pasta and broccoli in a sauce pot full of water

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.

Pasta and broccoli in a colander

Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.

Butter added to hot pasta and broccoli in the bowl

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.

Parmesan, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper added to the bowl

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). 

Close up overhead view of a bowl full of bowties and broccoli, on a zig zag napkin

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! 

TRY THESE OTHER QUICK PASTA RECIPES

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  1. Amazing! this is something very unique and definitely a healthy recipe, also it is not very time consuming
    thank you so much!

  2. 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 itโ€™s freezable? I donโ€™t want to see it wasted :)ย 

  3. 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!

    1. 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!

  4. 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

  5. Hi Beth, Literally just found this recepe online and ran to the market to grab the ingredients. Hope it comes out good

  6. wow! this is something very unique and definitely a healthy recipe, also it is not very time consuming
    thank you so much!

  7. 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!

  8. If you have a little extra time and are looking to elevate the dish, roast the broccoli in olive oil or butter at 425ยฐ 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!

  9. 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. :-)

  10. 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!!!

  11. Sounds very good to me.I always find something to eat and then go get one and only other half to try ,havenโ€™t been doing that bad so farc

  12. 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!

    1. 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.

  13. 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.