15-Minute Creamy Broccoli Pasta | Easy Vegan Dinner

Need dinner on the table fast? This 15-Minute Creamy Broccoli Pasta combines tender broccoli and corkscrew pasta with a rich, garlicky vegan cream sauce. It’s quick, comforting, budget-friendly and made with simple ingredients—perfect for those nights when you want something delicious without spending all evening in the kitchen.

Ingredients

12 oz Pasta (Penne, Rigatoni, Shells, or Rotini)

4 cups Broccoli Florets, chopped fairly small

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Vegan Butter

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour (all purpose gluten free will work as well)

2 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk

1/2 cup Vegan Parmesan, plus more for serving

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, optional

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

3/4 tsp Salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

½–1 cup reserved Pasta Water, as needed

I love recipes like this because some days I want something warm and comforting, but I do not want to spend forever in the kitchen. This Creamy Broccoli Pasta comes together in just 15 minutes, and that sauce gets into every little twist of the pasta—so good! It’s simple, creamy, garlicky, and the kind of easy meal I have many over and over again.

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions, al dente.

During the last 3–4 minutes, add the broccoli right into the pasta water. This saves time, saves another pan, and gets the broccoli perfectly tender.

Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the soy milk while whisking or stirring so the sauce stays smooth.

Add the vegan Parmesan, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it starts getting creamy.

Add the drained pasta and broccoli directly to the skillet.

Toss everything together until that creamy sauce gets into all the little grooves of the pasta and broccoli.

Add a splash of reserved pasta water at a time until the sauce is silky and glossy rather than thick or pasty.

Taste and adjust your seasoning.

Finish with another sprinkle of vegan Parmesan.

Estimated Budget

$1.75–$2.25 per serving.