Roasted Broccoli Alfredo

Remember my obsession with roasted broccoli? Well, it’s still going strong, so much so that we eat it once a week or so with lots of different meals. What can I say, I just love everything about it -- the nutty flavor, the rich aroma, the slight crunch of the browned bits.

I recently had one of my best ideas to date. I’ve always loved adding broccoli to fettuccine alfredo, and when I was planning our menu one week, I wondered what it would taste like if I roasted the broccoli instead of just steamed it. It was delicious! The nuttiness of the broccoli paired so well with the creamy, cheesy sauce, and it added a nice textural element to the overall dish. I think roasted vegetables of any kind would work really well in fettuccine alfredo (roasted tomatoes, hello?!) since their richness pairs so nicely with alfredo sauce. The alfredo sauce I used for this recipe is pretty basic, no bells and whistles: just a touch of butter, cream cheese, milk, tons of parmesan cheese, a little salt, and lots of black pepper. This meal was a huge hit with my whole family.

Roasted Broccoli Alfredo

1 pound fettuccine
2 heads broccoli, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain.

2. Meanwhile, toss broccoli with olive oil, butter, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.

3. To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and milk, stirring frequently. Heat it until it’s almost boiling, then stir in cheese and reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine broccoli, drained pasta, and sauce. Stir gently and serve.