Skillet Broccoli Spaghetti Recipe (2024)

Do you think the anchovies are necessary? I don't really care for them but do not want to make the recipe less yummy than it should be...

We are a household of vegans & vegetarians. I often use black olives as a substitute for anchovies.

This came together great! Even though my pantry was without AnchoviesI splashed some liquid from a jar of pepperoncini's and some caper juice too to add some zingy depth and umami. Added some chopped tomatoes too. It really is a great foundation to add and subtract. Also, the starchy glossy pasta water becomes almost creamy and coats the pasta perfectly. Lots of fresh crushed black pepper at the end along with some crushed red pepper too!

I was surprised at how delicious this was! So easy, too. I increased ingredients to use full pound of pasta (never understand 12 oz pasta recipes!) and broke the spaghetti in half to better fit in the pan.

If you don't have anchovies you can use a small dollop of fish or oyster sauce (which I always have in the fridge). Believe it or not--it does not add a fishy taste, but is a great flavor booster for almost any broth, sauce or gravy.

Warning! Do not panic. About 7 minutes before this was done I thought I'd created a spectacular catastrophe. I was searching the recipe for where I went wrong (I cooked less pasta and so had to reduce water) since it was clear I'd made a watery broccoli soup. But in the last minutes, this came together like magic: the pasta slurped up nearly all the remaining water and created - as discussed - an amazingly creamy sauce. Excellent dish.

Miso or marmite would make great substitutes for the anchovies.

Someone please do explain to me the "12 ounces of pasta" why not the whole pound and up the other ingredients?

The long cooked broccoli becomes soft and tender and becomes part of the sauce. If you just add the broccoli at the end, you won't have any sauce, just pasta and veg, not a nicely sauced combo. I suppose you could withhold some of the florets (and keep them bigger than the finely cut ons specified in the recipe) and add them at the end for a bit of color and crunch. But give the recipe a chance as written.

I keep a tube of anchovy paste in the fridge for recipes like this, but some capers, or some worcestershire sauce, or a sundried tomato will all give the umami needed to make this yummy.

This is an all-time favorite recipe of mine and was the gateway to the rich world of anchovy-as-magic-ingredient.

This is a variation of a recipe our family has enjoyed for years. I've always cooked it in a pasta pot with more water and using some of the drained pasta water to create the sauce but intend to try this way to compare. For those times when you don't have fresh broccoli (in the middle of a pandemic) a couple of bags of frozen broccoli also taste great. A longer cooking time yields a softer creamier dish.

@Claudia Have you ever eaten in a restaurant, I mean ever? I can guarantee that you have eaten anchovies more times than you can count. Chefs routinely add anchovies to all sorts of dishes precisely because they add a unique and indispensable flavor, but we are never aware because anchovies do not make a dish taste like salty fish. So many people are afraid of anchovies, but if they would just use them in a recipe they would be shocked at how much they like them.

I assume the recipe is meant to read that the water is to be "poured over" the ingredients in the pan rather than the other way `round? At first read it was a bit confusing. Looks delicious, and easy.

I was so excited to see this, as it is so similar to a recipe my grandmother brought over with her from Bari. It reminds me of my childhood and eating this with her and my dad.She did not add the red pepper flakes, but she did add some seasoned bread crumbs. Oh, and she used the whole tin of anchovies. Other than that, it is very authentic!

One of my favorite pastas! In order to increase the sulfurophane, I just whiz the florets in my food processor and let it sit for an hour before tossing in (a fine chop works too). Not necessary and a bit geeky perhaps, but tastes the same in the end, with some added nutrition :)

Even my picky teens eat this with the anchovies. That's a win!

If you skip the anchovies, try pecorino Romano in place of the parmesan. Pecorino is earthier and quite salty, so don't over-salt the water. Off heat, add cheese a little at a time, toss and taste. For larger quantities of pasta, blanch the broccoli in a large pasta pot, and set it aside; cook the pasta in the broccoli water to al dente, while prepping the sauce in a large skillet. Add the pasta to the skillet, adding pasta water as needed. Finish with the pecorino. Try bucatini for this dish!

My Italian-American MIL used to make this. But 1st cooked bacon, setting aside the finished bacon pieces, then sauteing garlic in the bacon fat with add'l olive oil. LOTS of garlic. So much, that when I breastfed my baby after eating this for dinner, she had garlic breath!Try adding several slices bacon for added flavor and protein, too.

I’ve read capers, black olives and miso with Worcestershire sauce in the place of anchovies. I love anchovies but sadly my husband is allergic to them and all fishy substitutes. I would love to make this ingenious recipe, but what is the answer to “no anchovies”?

I wanted to add some protein, so I sautéed a handful of large raw shrimp in the butter first, then removed them and added them back into the finished dish. This also gave a little extra umami. I used anchovy paste since I didn't have whole anchovies (about 1 tsp) and would use more (or whole ones) next time. I'd also recommend a squeeze of lemon juice at the end--it really brought out the flavors. And yes to the Parmesan! Thanks for a great recipe--definitely going in the rotation.

I frequently eat one-dish pasta meals with various vegetables cooked right in with the pasta. But this one suggests more work than required. There's no need to peel broccoli stalks unless they are old and tough. Then save the florets for the last few minutes of cooking so they are not mushy--I hate mushy broccoli. The stems will flavor the sauce but the florets will still be bright green and tender-crisp, much more appealing to the eye and to the appetite.

Anchovy haters, yes, they are necessary. The ARE the dish. My Italian grandmother used to make this, except she used olive oil instead of butter, and she used an entire tin of anchovies. They add such a nice umami, and do not taste fishy (although you do get the salt). So happy to see NYT showcasing an authentic Italian recipe.

Great recipe. FYI our bag of imported Italian fettuccine gave a 7 minute cook time. Came out lovely.

This is a great weeknight dinner. Fast to put together and the broccoli flavor with the anchovies is divine. I added some sliced cherry tomatoes and baby kale because veggies are good for us. I then cleaned out the fridge adding some quarter spicy marinated green olives and some chopped fresh basil. Would definitely recommend.

Really really tasty. We added a dash of dry white wine before adding the spaghetti. We also used chicken broth instead of water. So tasty.

Oddly, this does taste better than expected. For me, mushy broccoli = overcooked broccoli and overcooked broccoli = inedible broccoli; but something about chopping it up into small bits adds flavor to the "sauce" and, yet, it retains some crunch. Perhaps, using fresh pasta aided that, too. While tasty enough when prepared as instructed, this is definitely a mild, aka bland, dish. One could take much liberty to give it the kick one might need. For a school night meal, it's at the top of my list.

Prepping the broccoli was the most tedious part. We used a 12 oz package of a small Italian tube pasta I'd been given as a gift instead of spaghetti. Our Dutch oven had higher sides than any of our skillets, and worked beautifully. Enjoyable for Lent! Both my husband and I Iiked it, but we did find it a bit on the bland side. Next time I think I'll use a couple more anchovy fillets to provide more flavor.

Absolutely delicious! I used the whole tin of anchovies, 16 ounces of spaghetti and a package of baby broccoli from TJ’s. I added maybe 1/2 cup more of water and, before adding to the pot, broke the pasta in half. While it cooked, I fed my dog and answered a call from sister. When we were done talking (10-15 minutes??) the pasta was done. Add the pepper on each serving! You have to make this!

This was a delightful weeknight dinner that came together quickly, and the method produced a silky, creamy sauce! I used some miso and Worcestershire sauce in place of anchovies, which I sadly did not have on hand. This was great with freshly grated parmesan, and we also took it to a place of fusion and topped with sriracha and chili crisp - was yum.