This is the pasta you make when you want something that feels like comfort food… but you also want it to taste bright, fresh, and a little bit fancy.
Because there’s a very specific craving that hits sometimes:
- You want tomato pasta—but not watery tomato pasta.
- You want creamy pasta—but not heavy cream.
- You want vegetables—but you don’t want it to feel like a “healthy recipe.”
This Creamy Broccoli Tomato Pasta is the sweet spot.
It’s rich, tangy, garlicky, and cozy, with enough sauce to properly coat every strand of spaghetti. And the best part is that it’s dairy-free without trying too hard. The creaminess comes from one ingredient that does the job beautifully: full-fat coconut milk.
Not enough to make the pasta taste like coconut—just enough to make the sauce silky, smooth, and satisfying.
The flavor base: slow, simple, and worth it
It starts with onion in olive oil with a little salt, cooked until soft and sweet. That step seems basic, but it’s what makes the whole dish taste rounded instead of sharp. It’s the difference between “tomato sauce” and tomato sauce that tastes like it’s been simmering longer than it has.
Then you add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, and broccoli.
The tomatoes burst and turn jammy, the garlic perfumes everything, and the broccoli steams just until tender—still green, still fresh, not overcooked. That little splash of water and the lid is the small trick that makes this quick and weeknight-friendly.
Triple tomato = big flavor
This sauce doesn’t rely on just one type of tomato. It builds layers:
- Tomato paste gives deep, concentrated richness
- Canned chopped tomatoes add body and sauciness
- Sun-dried tomatoes bring that intense, slightly sweet, salty punch that makes the sauce taste “restaurant-level”
Sun-dried tomatoes are the secret “wow” ingredient here. They add complexity instantly—like the sauce has more depth than it should for how quickly it comes together.
Then the creamy moment
When the coconut milk goes in, everything softens.
The tang of the tomatoes becomes smoother, the sauce turns a beautiful velvety red, and suddenly it feels indulgent—like a creamy tomato pasta you’d order somewhere… except you made it in one pan while the spaghetti cooked.
Toss in the pasta, let it heat through for a couple minutes, and you’ve got a dish that’s:
- creamy and comforting
- packed with flavor
- full of veggies without feeling “veggie-forward”
- quick enough for a weeknight
Finish with lots of black pepper, and you’re done.
This is the kind of meal that makes you feel like you cooked, but didn’t suffer to cook. Cozy, vibrant, and satisfying—exactly what pasta night should be.
Creamy Broccoli Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz. (280g) spaghetti
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 10 oz. (280g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 9 oz. (250g) broccoli, florets cut small
- 4 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 oz. (60g) canned chopped tomatoes
- 1.5 oz. 1(40g) sun-dried tomatoes, drained & chopped
- 7.5 fl oz. (220ml) full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped broccoli, and 2 tbsp water. Stir, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender.
- Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk, and cooked pasta.
- Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through and the sauce is creamy.
- Top with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
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