1.5cupswhole milkOR evaporated milk OR half and half
1teaspoonItalian seasoning
1teaspoononion powder
½teaspoongarlic powder
1(8-oz) boxsmall pasta shapesuncooked
4cupschopped broccoli
1cupgrated parmesan cheese
3tablespoonscream cheeseor more to taste
1tablespoonlemon juice
salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Cook garlic: Heat oil in large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add wine and lemon: Stir in white wine and lemon zest, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer 2-3 minutes, until reduced by half.
Cook pasta: Stir in chicken broth, milk, Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then add pasta. Reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook pasta 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently to keep pasta from sticking together.
Add broccoli: Stir through broccoli, cover pan with a lid and cook for 4-5 more minutes, until broccoli and pasta are very nearly done. Remove lid and simmer for one more minute.
Finish dish: Once done, take pan off the heat. Stir through parmesan, cream cheese and lemon juice. Season with salt (if needed) and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Broccoli: You want the broccoli chopped into florets, and then larger florets cut in half. Otherwise it will not cook in time. If you want to use frozen broccoli, I very very highly recommend steaming it in the microwave and then adding it at the very end.
Pasta: This recipe works best with smaller, short pasta shapes. Think Orecchiette, medium shells, large elbow macaroni (I think the correct term would be Pipe Rigate).
Pan: I highly recommend using a wide sauté pan for this recipe (mine holds about 3.7 quart if you need a size reference).
Cooking time: My pasta indicates a cooking time of 8 minutes on the package (one pot pastas take about twice as long to cook vs boiling the pasta in water). If your pasta indicates a shorter cooking time, add the broccoli after just 5 minutes. If your pasta indicates a much longer cooking time, you may want to wait for 10 minutes before adding the broccoli.
Broccoli cooking time: Adding the broccoli for the last 5 minutes leaves the broccoli tender, but still with a bite. If you prefer very cooked, almost overdone broccoli for pasta, then add it 2-3 minutes earlier.