Ceara's Kitchen

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Quick One Pot Broccoli Pasta

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We all need that one meal, that meal we turn to on those busy weeknights and want dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. That meal we turn to when we don’t want to spend the evening doing dishes. That meal we turn to because we always have everything on hand for it. That meal we turn to when we simply don’t feel like chopping a whole bunch of veggies but still desire a healthy dish. And that meal we turn to when we quite frankly have nooo idea what we want to cook for supper.

one pot broccoli pasta

Introducing the One Pot Broccoli Pasta. Quick. Easy. Tasty. Healthy. On the table in 20 minutes or less. What more can you ask for out of a simple pasta dish? This One Pot Broccoli Pasta has always been a staple in my kitchen. I love it because it is soo incredibly simple – probably why I have hesitated sharing it until now.

pot broccoli pasta

Before I switched to a healthier lifestyle I used to feel that pasta had to be topped off with tons of creamy cheeses, Parm and doused in oil to taste the part. But was I ever wrong. This pasta could not be easier, healthier or tastier. If you seriously looove cheese on your pasta add a bit at the end as a finishing touch instead of drenching the entire dish in cheese at the beginning  – this way you will truly taste the nutritious and tasty flavors incorporated into this One Pot Broccoli Pasta without the added unwanted calories contained in tons of fromage (but how ’bout some hot sauce instead?).

To save time in this recipe I used frozen broccoli. Frozen vegetables are a major staple in my freezer. Especially during the winter months when bright, fresh vegetables are not as readily available (to soon for a winter reference?). It is a myth that frozen vegetables are not as healthy as fresh – in fact, because frozen veggies are flash-frozen at their peak ripeness they often contain much more nutritional value than their ‘fresh’ counterparts that were picked wayy before they were ripened and traveled a great distance before coming to a table near you (ahem overpriced, dreary looking vegetables in Canada in the wintertime ahem). And plus, frozen veggies are just that much easier on a weeknight where no chopping is involved!

one pot broccoli

If you can boil water you can make this One Pot Broccoli Pasta! Start off by boiling a large pot of water with a pinch of sea salt. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and frozen broccoli to the pot. If using fresh onions & garlic (I often used dried on those really busy nights!) finely chop the fresh onion and garlic while the pasta and broccoli are cooking. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain the pasta and broccoli remembering to carefully reserve one cup of the pasta water before draining. Leave the pasta in the strainer and put the pot back on the hot element. Add the reserved pasta-water, onions, garlic, lemon juice and spices to the pot and cook for 2 minutes until the garlic, onions and spices become fragrant. Add the pasta back into the pot with a splash of olive oil and toss, toss, toss! Top off with pumpkin seeds, hot sauce, and cheese. Voila! Your One Pot Broccoli Pasta is ready to go 🙂

the pasta and

 

One Pot Broccoli Pasta
 
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An easy, quick, tasty, healthy and vegan weeknight One Pot Broccoli Pasta that is whipped up in less than 20 minutes! Use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free option.
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • Pinch of sea salt (for pasta water)
  • 500 grams/1 pound pasta, I used spelt pasta (choose brands that takes 8-10 minutes to cook)
  • 7 cups frozen broccoli florets (usually amounts to one standard bag of frozen broccoli)
  • 1¼ cup reserved pasta-water (see directions)
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, finely choped OR 1-2 tsp garlic powder(to taste)
  • 1 small yellow/red onion, finely chopped OR 1-2 tsp onion powder (to taste)
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice OR 2 tbsp white/apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1-2 tsp cayenne (to taste)
  • 1 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Optional Toppings
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Parmesan (*vegan brand for vegans)
  • Hot sauce (not really optional!)
Directions
  1. Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of sea salt on high heat.
  2. Once water comes to a boil, add the pasta and frozen broccoli to the boiling water. Turn down to a medium high heat making sure that water does not boil over.
  3. If using fresh onions & garlic (I often used dried on those really busy nights!) finely chop the fresh onion and garlic while the pasta and broccoli are cooking.
  4. Immediately before draining pasta (before it is almost cooked) carefully reserve 1 & ¼ cups of the pasta-water.
  5. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain the pasta and broccoli.
  6. Leave the pasta in the strainer and put the pot back on the hot element. Add the reserved pasta-water, onions, garlic, optional nutritional yeast, lemon juice/vinegar and spices to the pot and cook for 2 minutes until the garlic, onions and spices become fragrant.
  7. Add the pasta back into the pot with a splash of olive oil and toss, toss, toss!
  8. Top off with pumpkin seeds, hot sauce, and cheese. Voila! Your One Pot Broccoli Pasta is ready to go 🙂
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 5 Calories: 1029 Fat: 25g Saturated fat: 9g Unsaturated fat: 13g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 159g Sugar: 11g Sodium: 861mg Fiber: 17g Protein: 50g Cholesterol: 31mg

ceara s kitchen

Comments

  1. This is definitely my lunch tomorrow! I just bought a bunch of broccoli and was looking for something new to do with it. I love the addition of pumpkin seeds and hot sauce! (Except all I have on hand is siracha–so I’ll have to be careful! Haha.)

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  2. I made this for Jason and he loved!! I made this with gluten free noodles and extra lemon. Very fresh and fun!!

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  3. Love this! So simple but tasty, and packed with broccoli…awesome! Need to remember this for the next night I have a “what to make for dinner” dilemma 🙂

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  6. This reminds me a lot of the quick weeknight meals that I love to make and eat! I always make sure I have some pasta and some broccoli on hand so I can make some type of pasta! If I don’t have quick meals on hand, I will always succumb to ordering out and I try not to do that very often! I love all spices and flavors you put in here and I really love the little dishes you served them in 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks for the kind words Isadora! Sounds like great minds think alike 😉 I always have some sort of frozen veggie on hand for an easy weeknight supper 🙂

      Reply

  11. I am glad you shared such an easy recipe as we all need those with busy nights! I make a similar pasta by throwing in all the tidbits from my veggie drawer from the week, but I had not considered frozen before for that. That is an option to turn to when you can’t get fresh. I have been going gluten-free for various reasons and trying many GF pastas on the market lately. The key is to cook it EXTRA al dente as it tends to be on the soft side and the texture can be a challenge.

    Reply

    • I LOVE that idea of making a past a la ‘whatever is left in the fridge’ from the week! 🙂 Delicious! I will keep that in my for the end of next week 🙂 Thanks for the gluten free pasta suggestion! I have tried some really good (and not so good) brands in the past! What is go-to fav. gluten free past brand? My diet is not exclusively gluten free (I used spelt pasta in the recipe) but am always looking for new grains to include in my diet!!

      Reply

  13. This looks way too easy! I am going to have to try it – can’t wait for a busy night (okay so maybe I can wait for the busyness to begin). Looks yummy!

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  14. I’m all about one pot meals, especially during the week! This broccoli pasta looks delicious! I love broccoli but never seem to cook with it much, so that’s definitely go to change. Love that this is vegan, too! A dish I can feel good about eating is always a winner in my book! 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks Gayle! I know what you mean One Pot Meals are totally my thing during the week and always looking for new, easy, healthy ideas!

      Reply

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