Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes until bright green and tender. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then remove broccoli and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper, sautéing until fragrant (1–2 minutes).

Gently add the reserved broccoli and cooking water to the skillet, stirring to combine and simmer on low for about 3 minutes.

In the same pot, bring fresh water to a boil and cook the shell pasta according to package instructions (8–10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.

Add the drained shell pasta to the skillet, tossing everything together. Gradually stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and splash of reserved pasta water until creamy.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan if desired.