One Pot Broccoli Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with White Beans

A tasty, vegetarian dinner is a breeze to make with this one pot broccoli sun dried tomato pasta with white beans and parmesan. With only 8 ingredients and about 20 minutes, you can have a nutritious meal on the table! (vegan option)

For a quick and easy meal that's sure to please the whole family, you can't go wrong with pasta! There are endless variations and ways to add flavor and nutrition. This sun-dried tomato and broccoli pasta is a simple, nutritious dish that the whole family will love - and you don't even need to make (or open!) sauce!

Why You'll Love This Pasta

This pasta dish is incredibly easy to make with just 8 easy ingredients (not including salt, pepper and water) and one pot - because fewer dishes to wash is always better. It relies on a few flavor-packed ingredients, like sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, red pepper flakes and savory parmesan cheese, to make its own tasty sauce as it simmers in the pot. Nutrient-rich broccoli cooks to a tender-crisp texture - no soggy veggies here!

Is It Healthy?

Pasta dishes can vary widely on the nutrition scale. This one ranks pretty high - it has lots of fiber, a decent amount of protein and even some healthy fat thanks to whole wheat noodles, canned white beans, and lots of veggies. Broccoli also contains multiple potent bioactive compounds and antioxidants, including kaempferol, sulforaphane, lutein and zeaxanthin.

The Ingredients

• Broccoli - Chop into bite-sized pieces. Use the stalks, too!
• Sun Dried Tomatoes - Use the jarred kind packed in olive oil, you'll need the oil for extra flavor!
• Garlic - Fresh is always best, but if you're really short on time, you can use pre-minced garlic (found in the produce section).
• Canned White Beans - such as cannellini or navy beans
• Dry Pasta - Use a whole wheat, short pasta shape, such as fuselli, bowties, or penne.
• Broth - Vegetable or chicken broth. I use low sodium.
• Red Pepper Flakes - also called crushed red pepper
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan - Use a high quality parmesan that you grate yourself for the best flavor.

How To Make One Pot Broccoli Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with White Beans

1. Chop the broccoli, mince the garlic, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes if they are not already cut.
2. Heat the oil from the sun dried tomatoes in a large pot with a lid (such as a Dutch oven) and add the garlic. Sauté for about a minute.
3. Add the pasta, white beans, broth, water, red pepper, salt and pepper.
4. Stir, cover, and bring the pot to a boil.
5. Once boiling, simmer for 13 minutes (or 10 minutes for white pasta). Stir every couple of minutes.
6. During the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Stir, replace the lid, and continue cooking for the remaining time.
7. Once the pasta reaches al dente and broccoli is tender-crisp, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Tip: If you like your broccoli softer, cut it into smaller pieces, or add it to the pot a couple minutes earlier. Bigger pieces will take longer to cook than smaller pieces.

Substitutions and Recipe Variations

• You can use frozen broccoli. Add it to the pot a couple minutes earlier.
• Chickpeas can be used in place of white beans.
• For a vegan version, omit the parmesan. Feel free to add nutritional yeast to taste for a cheesy flavor.
• For extra protein, feel free to stir in cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is a great time-saver!) or add peeled, deveined shrimp when you add the broccoli.
• To cut back on prep time, you can use julienne-cut tomatoes, minced garlic (found in a jar in the produce section), and pre-cut broccoli.
• Try adding other veggies, like spinach or roasted red peppers!
• I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free pasta.

For more one-pot meals, head to my roundup of Healthy & Delicious One-Dish Meals!

If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!

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