This pasta is made in one pan in under 30 minutes, and yields a creamy, garlicky, veggie-heavy pasta dish with crispy edges and just the right amount of cheesy goodness. AKA weeknight dinner at it’s finest. 
Fall is here in full force, which means I’m craving warm, hearty, filling meals at night. Some of our weekly staples have included chili, polenta with roasted butternut squash, curried sweet potato soup, and pasta. Lots of beautiful, glorious, carb-y pasta. We’ve already had a few nights drop down into the thirties, but most nights are in the forties and fifties. It’s safe to say I’m logging my fair share of hours bundled up in a blanket on the couch. 
This pasta is quick + easy, leaving you ample time to get cozy at night. It’s also packed full of nutritious ingredients that are both filling and make your body feel great (broccoli! garlic! kale! yogurt! whole wheat pasta! olive oil!). Plus, there’s cheese; goat cheese and Pecorino Romano, to be exact. Yogurt helps make the sauce taste extra creamy without being too thick or heavy, while the Romano lends a tangy, sharp, and undeniably alfredo-esque flavor. Hello, lover.
Here’s how to make it:
Boil water in an oven-safe pan. Add pasta & salt. I used whole wheat shells, which acted as the perfect little bowls for the sauce to puddle into. 
When the pasta is almost done, add in some broccoli.
Scoop out some of the pasta water from the pot, then drain the pasta/broccoli and put the empty pan back on the stove. Add olive oil and garlic to the hot pan, and stir until it’s barely golden brown and fragrant.
Add a few handfuls of baby kale, and dump back in the drained pasta and broccoli. 
Add yogurt, goat cheese, grated Pecorino Romano, reserved pasta water, salt & pepper. Stir it all up ’til you get a creamy sauce.
Top with more Pecorino, drizzle with olive oil, and broil for 5 minutes until the pasta edges are crispy and brown. 
Start to finish, including taking pictures, this took me 32 minutes. Five of those minutes were spent standing around the kitchen waiting for the pasta to get crispy under the broiler. Dishes for the night were a cutting board, a knife, the pan I made the pasta in, a pasta strainer, and a stirring spoon. Plus two bowls and two forks, to eat it with. If you’re counting, that’s only 7 dishes to wash; I could get used to this. 
Lets make more quick, easy, crispy, cheesy, delicious dinners this week! I’m thinking your grocery list for the week needs to include the ingredients for this pasta. If you try it out, let me know! Comment below or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can gaze at your beautiful, bubbly, crispy pasta. Happy Weekend, Friends!
One-Pan Creamy Broccoli & Garlic Shells
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta of choice I used whole wheat shells + water + a big pinch of salt
- 1 large broccoli crown to yield about 4 cups of chopped broccoli florettes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 cups baby kale about 1 6-ounce package
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk yogurt traditional or Greek both work, I used homemade
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese the 1/4 cup goes on top
- 1/2 teaspoon each of salt + pepper
Instructions
- 1. Fill a large oven-safe pan 3/4 of the way with water, and set on high to boil. Once boiling, add a big pinch of salt and the pasta. Set a timer for 6 minutes.
- 2. While the pasta boils, chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and finely dice the garlic. You could also put the garlic cloves through a garlic press, if you have one.
- 3. When the pasta timer goes off, add in broccoli and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta/broccoli, and set aside.
- 4. Preheat the broiler on your oven to high. Adjust the oven rack to allow room for your pan to fit into the oven, as close to the broiler as possible.
- 5. Put the empty pan back on the stove (with the heat OFF), and add oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is barely golden and fragrant. Add in kale, drained pasta/broccoli, and stir. Add in all other ingredients (except 1/4 cup of Romano for topping), and stir well.
- 4. Top the pasta with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Broil for 2-6 minutes, or until golden brown. My broiler took 6 minutes with the pan about 4 inches away from the broiler. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- 5. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, but tend to dry out.
Notes
This recipe yields enough to feed 4-6 people. It can easily be halved if you're serving 2. If you want to double it for a big crowd, I'd recommend dividing it into two baking dishes to be broiled.