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Broccoli Cheddar Shell Pasta

Small shells cook with chopped broccoli, then get coated in a sharp cheddar sauce made on the stovetop. It is a plain, filling pasta that leans on pantry cheese and one pot of water.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Bowl of shell pasta with broccoli florets in yellow cheddar sauce

Why you’ll love it

  • Broccoli cooks in the same pot as the pasta.
  • A quick roux-based cheese sauce clings to shells.
  • Sharp cheddar gives strong flavor without extra ingredients.
  • It comes together in about half an hour.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil shells in salted water. Add broccoli for the last 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

  2. 2

    Melt butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.

  3. 3

    Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thick.

  4. 4

    Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and mustard powder until melted.

  5. 5

    Add drained pasta and broccoli. Toss, loosening with reserved pasta water as needed.

  6. 6

    Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot.

Pro tips

  • Shred cheddar yourself so the sauce melts smoothly.
  • Chop broccoli small so it softens with the pasta.
  • Keep heat low when melting cheese to avoid graininess.

Easy substitutions

sharp cheddar
colby jack
whole milk
2 percent milk plus 1 tbsp cream
pasta shells
elbows or cavatappi

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm on the stove with a splash of milk, stirring until loose again.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
560
Protein
24 g
Carbs
58 g
Fat
26 g
Fiber
5 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan · Vegetarian

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Ingredients