Broccoli Pasta with Garlic and Chili | Vegan and Weight-Loss Friendly | 30-Minute Meal

Broccoli pasta is a great tasty dish that can be prepared in one pot, in under 30 minutes and is extremely flexible, as ingredients can be added to taste (or bulk!). Broccoli is a funny vegetable: so versatile, yet so affordable and tasty! There is one meal that reminds me of my middle school time and that, funny enough, is pasta with broccoli. My Gramma knows — and knew then — how much I love this dish and growing up she would make sure to prepare it at least once a week… and now that I write it down I realize how odd it is that a teenager was so excited to eat vegetables! This is an easy, one-pot, flavorful, and healthy meal that can be ready in very little time and can be modified as needed and wanted. If you’re not so much into the chili side of this dish, then you can easily omit the ingredient… but if, like me, you like it fiery add a bit extra! Increase the amount of broccoli and make it a bigger, more filling pasta dish… or add some crumbled vegan feta when cold and off you go… lunchbox ready! Do you, like me, love cruciferous vegetables? Then you have to try this Easy-Peasy Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup and you will have a new way of enjoying this as well! ~~ Who said vegan meals have to be boring? You’ll change everyone’s mind after making them try any of these recipes: Cook: Vegan

Let’s talk nutrition!

Let’s focus on broccoli, flavorsome, versatile, and nutritious ingredients.

This vegetable has only 34 calories per 100g yet its nutrients are vast!

Broccoli is a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, although it is important to select the correct cooking methods to maintain as much of these, especially Vitamin C, as possible. It can be eaten either raw or cooked.

When considering Vitamins, the following are the highest in Broccoli:

- Vitamin C: also known as ascorbic acid, is a vitamin found in multiple foods, essential for the repair, growth, and development of body tissues.

It is also involved in other functions the body performs, such as the formation of collagen, the absorption of iron, and, its most famous role, the correct functioning of the immune system, amongst others.

- Vitamin A: although it is often considered a single nutrient, Vitamin A is the name used to refer to a whole group of fat-soluble compounds, which can be found in both humans and animals; these are needed for the health of the eyes, vision, the function of the immune system, the growth of the body cells, the human reproduction and the development of the fetus.

- Vitamin K: also Vitamin K refers to a group of nutrients, which are needed for blood clotting, as it assists with the healing of the wounds. Some studies show how it may also assist with bone health.

Vegan Broccoli and Chili Pasta

Healthy pasta with broccoli… with a kick!

• 130 g Dry Pasta (I used penne)
• 300 g Broccoli florets (about one big head, cleaned up)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 g Chopped Fresh Garlic
• Chilli Flakes to taste
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1. Chop the broccoli into pieces the same size (or slightly bigger) than the pasta shape chosen, wash them thoroughly, and set aside. Note: Chopping vegetables to the same size as the pasta allows for the whole recipe to mix well and each bite can have a bit of everything.
2. On the stove put one big pot of water and bring it to the boil; once the water is boiling, add 1/2 tsp of salt and the pasta to it.
3. Check the cooking time of the pasta (penne are normally 10–12 minutes) and compare with the time to cook the broccoli (I like mine quite soft, so I boil them for 8 minutes); this means that after 4 minutes of the pasta being in the water I add the broccoli to it.
4. Once broccoli and pasta are ready, drain, and put back in the pot. Do not ‘’over-drain’’ the food… a tiny amount of cooking water (and I mean tiny) won’t hurt.
5. If you want to keep this recipe to one pot, you can leave the pasta and broccoli in the colander, alternatively you can use a frying pan… in any case, take your selected pan and add to it 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is warm (not too hot) add the chopped garlic and lower the flame to low; after about 1 minute (when you can no longer smell the rawness of the garlic) add the chili flakes to the pan, stir well and add the broccoli and pasta. Mix well and add salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Divide into two plates and serve!!

This is a very easy, basic recipe, as I said before, and can be modified in so many ways as most broccoli recipes.

To add some proteins and fats, who not add a bit of crumbled feta or parmesan cheese on top? The taste of either of these two salty kinds of cheese works very well with the sweet broccoli, chili, and garlic and this broccoli pasta recipe will reach other levels.

This vegan pasta, can be turned into a vegan pasta salad in no time; if you are planning to eat this penne pasta salad cold, try adding some halved cherry tomato and sweetcorn.

If you are very hungry and are cooking for yourself only, you can halve the amount of pasta in the recipe but still use a whole head of broccoli… this is very filling and still flavourful. Broccoli has only about 34 calories every 100 grams! Skinny pasta and simple broccoli recipes may be very easy to find, but this version will be also filling and tasty.

If you are counting calories, remember to adjust them for any modification!

https://bit.ly/3uw4nXh Elle #broccoli #broccoli_pasta #chili #chili_garli #easy_healthy_recipes #easy_vegan_recipes #healthy_eating #italian #pasta #vegan #vegan_food #vegan_pasta