The secret ingredient in this creamy zucchini pasta with crispy broccoli is cream cheese. It gets roasted with the veggies to create the base of the luxurious, vibrant sauce.
This vibrant green pasta sauce combines zucchini, peppers, onions and cream cheese for a luxurious, veggie-packed meal—just tell the kids it’s a favourite of Kermit the Frog, the Incredible Hulk or Shrek if they turn their noses up at the colour. This creamy zucchini pasta with crispy broccoli ticks all of the boxes: creamy, crunchy, savoury and hearty. Be sure to a generous sprinkling of Parmesan at the end—what kid can resist a pile of cheese?
Ingredients for Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Crispy Broccoli
- 500 g pasta
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 small green bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 2 medium zucchinis, roughly chopped
- 2 small garlic bulbs, halved
- 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 210 g cream cheese
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1–2 tsp chili flakes
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup arugula
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest (for garnish)
Directions for Creamy Zucchini Pasta and Crispy Broccoli
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large baking dish, place onion, peppers, zucchini and garlic bulbs. Toss with 3 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and half the garlic powder. Add the cream cheese.
3. Bake for 30 min, until vegetables are tender and cream cheese has melted.
4. Meanwhile, toss the broccoli with remaining olive oil, remaining garlic powder, salt, pepper and chili flakes (you can omit or reduce the amount of chili flakes depending on how much your family likes spice). Spread onto a separate baking sheet and roast for about 20 min, checking every 10 min. (NOTE: You can bake veggies and broccoli together if your oven will fit the baking dish and baking sheet side by side. Alternatively, you can use the middle top and middle rack positions of your oven; just start the vegetables and cream cheese on the top rack and then drop it lower in the oven after 10 min, to free up the top space for the broccoli.)
5. When broccoli is tender and slightly charred, set aside to cool.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook for about 7 min, until soft but still a little firm to the bite.
7. Remove roasted vegetables from the oven. Squeeze roasted garlic from its skins.
8. Transfer all roasted vegetables, juices and melted cream cheese to a blender (or use an immersion blender). Add vegetable stock, half of the Parmesan, arugula, basil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
9. Drain pasta and toss with creamy zucchini sauce. Top with crispy broccoli, extra Parmesan and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
