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The simplest weeknight-style Roasted Broccoli Pasta Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Whipped Ricotta. A classic creamy Italian carbonara sauce, but updated with roasted broccoli, crispy prosciutto, and the creamiest whipped ricotta cheese. This simple broccoli pasta carbonara is made in under an hour and makes for a vibrant, but still cozy, creamy pasta bowl that’s perfect for any day of the week too. And the true bonus? Everyone loves this dish!
So, I know it’s “healthy January” and all, but I think every week deserves a good bowl of pasta. And let’s be honest, all the broccoli keeps the bowl colorful and on the healthy side, you know what I mean?
The truth is, I’ve found this year’s healthy January to be a little trickier than in year’s pasta. I don’t know if it’s the cold, grey winter days we’ve had this past week or the fact that we’re at home right now with very few plans. Either way, I’m craving heartier recipes this January. Thankfully, I’ve been able to healthify a lot of my favorites, like the “Taco Bell” Crunchwraps, my go-to winter Pesto Pasta, doughnuts, and even chocolate chip cookies too.
And today, it’s all about pasta carbonara. But updated carbonara, with lots of roasted broccoli for added color and the creamiest, creamless sauce.
At first glance, you might not think you can pull this off with only a handful of ingredients. But the truth is, this pasta is so simple. It’s made using a lot of ingredients you might even have on hand right now.
Let me break the ingredients down for you…
You need broccoli, prosciutto, eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic, herbs (these can be fresh or dried), pasta, and ricotta cheese. Personally, I always have these ingredients on hand. If I don’t have fresh broccoli, I usually always have another vegetable I can roast up instead. And if I don’t have the herbs called for, then I most definitely have dried.
So, this is the pasta I call my pantry staple pasta. Whatever I don’t have on hand, I swap with what I do. But the very most important ingredients…broccoli (or a veggie), eggs, and cheese. You’ve got to have those.
With a short cook time, you can imagine this recipe is easy. First things first, you should pull out all of your ingredients. The key to a good carbonara is to serve it right after tossing. So having everything prepped and ready to go before cooking is key.
Start with the broccoli and prosciutto. The broccoli gets roasted with a little bit of garlic. I like to bake the prosciutto right alongside the broccoli to keep things simple. It also ensures the prosciutto gets evenly cooked and crispy all around.
Just as the broccoli finishes cooking, I like to toss it with lemon zest. The heat from the broccoli infuses everything with a touch of brightness and freshness.
Now, onto that creamy whipped ricotta. I want to start off by saying that this is an extra step that you don’t have to take. But I will say that it elevates the pasta, making it just a touch more special than all the rest.
So I think it’s worth the extra five minutes. Simply add the ricotta to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
Just before the broccoli finishes roasting, I like to boil up the pasta and whisk the eggs with parmesan. If you’ve never made a carbonara pasta, it’s a classic Italian pasta dish. It’s unique in that it uses raw eggs. Tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese creates a delicious creamy sauce without actually having to use any cream at all. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce. It’s melt in your mouth good. If you’ve tried my butternut squash pasta carbonara, you’re already familiar with just how creamy and delicious this sauce is.
As soon as the pasta finishes cooking, immediately toss it with the eggs. This step is really important, but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens. You’ll then have perfect Roasted Broccoli Pasta Carbonara.
By now, the broccoli and prosciutto should be just finishing up in the oven.
This is how I put it all together… Spread that whipped ricotta into the bottom of each pasta bowl before adding the hot pasta carbonara. Top each bowl with broccoli and crispy prosciutto, then enjoy immediately. Once the pasta hits the ricotta it slowly starts to sink in, warming the cheese, and making every twirl of pasta so delicious.
It’s not the most traditional, but it is so, so good. The perfect pasta that’s easy enough for a Wednesday night, but feels special enough for the weekend too!
Looking for more winter pasta? Here are a few favorites:
Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Pesto Pasta
Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon
One Pot Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Broccoli Pasta Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Whipped Ricotta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Made this with a friend and it was incredible. Made homemade GF noodles, added lemon and some spice to the ricotta. Will definitely make again.
Hey Paige,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
This dish was amazing! My whole family loved it. I will definitely make this again but will double the broccoli because that went the fastest.
Hey Mandi,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Can I make this with cream and butter instead of egg? Never used egg in pasta and kind of scared to do so.
Hey Jeena,
Sorry I haven’t tested this with cream and butter, the eggs are really the essence of a carbonara! Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xTieghan
Really loved this and the dish was so unique and we loved the flavors. The one thing I had a question on that maybe I screwed up is my whipped ricotta was a little cold and almost made the pasta taste cold. Do you heat it or leave room temp before whipping? Otherwise everything was great and will def make again! 🙂
Hey Tori,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! I like to have my ricotta at room temp and then the pasta should warm it through. xTieghan
Am excited everything looks delicious and healthy
Thanks so much! xTieghan
Oh wow, just made this for dinner with handmade pasta, AMAZING! So delicious and much easier than i anticipated. I agree it’s much easier when you have everything cut and measured ahead of time, especially for timing to have it all complete at the same time. Thank you!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Love all of your recipes and will be making this tonight so please don’t feel like this is a criticism when I point out the funny typo in the third paragraph- in years pasta! Subliminal messaging. I am an English teacher and I just can’t put the red pen away. Especially when an error makes me laugh. Have a great day
Thanks Linda! xTieghan
Pretty good- I would say you need to add more water to keep it silky. The reason for the 4 stars is because all of us thought the whipped ricotta actually made everything taste off. We all tried a bit with it and then another bowl without and we all agreed it was better without. It’s almost like it made it too heavy. The broccoli and crispy prosciutto were perfect and the lemon zest added a nice brightness to the dish.
Hey Katie,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) So sorry you did not enjoy the whipped feta. xTieghan
We enjoyed this recipe however the pasta didn’t seem saucy enough. We followed the recipe but think there was too much pasta to sauce ratio.
Hey Annie,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) Carbonara is not meant to be a super saucy dish:) xTieghan
Made it tonight. It was fantastic! Easy! Tasty! Will definitely make it again.
Hey Shelli,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
Made this the other night and it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be adding this one to the rotation. Thanks for another winner Tieghan!!
Hey Claire,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
Yum Yum Yummy
beckandbulow
how well does a dish like this hold for multiple meals throughout the week?
Hey Chase,
This will work just fine to reheat:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Fantastic! Creamy, crunchy and altogether delicious. Takes some focus and attention to detail but a great dish from a reasonable effort
Hey Tom,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
So excited to make this but I accidentally bought shredded parmesan instead of grated.. can I make it work or do I need to head back to the store?
Hey Ashley,
Grated parm really works best here, but I am sure the shredded will be just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan