I love making pasta for dinner. Sometimes I enjoy making homemade pasta but other nights I just want to open a box. But I want that box to be high quality pasta! I was recently sent two boxes of pasta from Pozza’s Pasta to try – at no charge – and tonight I opened the Garlic and Parsley to use in a new pasta recipe. Before I get to the directions for the Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce let me first tell you about the high quality of Pozza’s Pasta.

I will tell you that if I didn’t know better I would have thought that I had made the pasta earlier in the day. It’s that good. It tastes freshly made. The company is located in Arkansas and has been making their pasta since 1977. You can learn all about them and their process on the about us page of their site. Plus I have great news! I have a discount code for you – enter 30OFF at checkout to save 30% off standard pricing on all their products. You won’t be disappointed.

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Pasta Recipe: Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce

Serves 4

12 oz box of linguine such as Pozza’s Pasta or homemade
4 cup broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco or all mixed
1 cup milk, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

making the creamy broccoli sauce — ***As you can see I had a little bit of broccoli, cauliflower and romanesco***

Add 3 cups of the broccoli/cauliflower/romanesco to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the vegetables are very soft. About half an hour.
Preheat oven to 400
Take remaining broccoli/cauliflower/romanesco and roast in oven while the sauce cooks.

Heat a 4 to 6 quart pot of salted water to a boil.
When the water boils cook the pasta as directed on the box – about 9 minutes. If using homemade pasta it will take about 3 to 4 minutes depending on size. Drain and set aside.
Mash the broccoli with a potato masher. Run an immersion blender through the vegetables to break them down further.

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Add 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the mashed broccoli. Return the immersion blender to the mixture and blend until smooth.
Return the mix to a simmer and add the black pepper, salt, nutmeg (nutmeg mill) and cheddar cheese. Let simmer without boiling until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Return the pasta to the cooking pot and pour in the broccoli sauce. Stir to coat. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup milk.

To serve: add pasta to plate, top with roasted broccoli/cauliflower/romanesco followed by the toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.

How Was the Pasta Recipe?

Oh my, it was delightful. Such a delicious change from a red sauce or a traditional cheese sauce. We both really enjoyed the broccoli/cauliflower/romanesco flavor in the sauce. The cheddar wasn’t forward as there wasn’t that much added so the vegetables were really the stars of the sauce. The little pops of tart from the pomegranate seeds were very welcome and the earthy flavor of the pine nuts plus their crunch added just the right flavor balance.

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It was a very successful pasta recipe that utilized a box that tasted exactly like homemade pasta but without the fuss. I thank Pozza’s Pasta for that ease. I am now looking forward to trying the Tomato and Basil Linguine. I’m considering shrimp to accompany it but who knows what I will ultimately make!