Step 1

Add the broccoli florets to a bowl and 2 cups of boiling water. Cover the bowl, let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes, and drain the water.

Step 2

Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. For this Gemelli pasta, I used 7 cups of water with 2 tsps of salt. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until it is aldente. It took me approx 10 minutes.

Step 3

Reserve 3/4 to 1 cup of pasta water and drain the remaining water. Immediately transfer the drained pasta to the sauce pot, place the cream cheese on top, and add the broccoli florets. Cover the sauce pot and let it sit for 5 minutes - no need to turn the heat on. This step is very important. Do not let the pasta cool. The cream cheese block softens quickly when the pasta is hot.

Step 4

After five minutes, turn the heat on. Over medium-low heat, add the pasta water and mix the pasta and cheese nicely. The cream cheese will be soft, and you can mix it easily.

Step 5

Add the honey mustard sauce, pepper, and the 21 seasoning salute or Italian seasoning. If needed, add the milk and mix well. I did not add any extra milk.

Step 6

Mix well and serve hot immediately.