Broccoli Pasta in a Fresh Tomato Sauce

Anu's Note:

Determined to create my very own, 100% original pasta recipe, which I could call "mine" in all honestly, I made this for lunch today and was so thrilled with its fresh, light taste that I just HAD to post it and let everyone know that I'm not as unimaginative as I though! :) Reserving the pasta water saves some of the nutrients of broccoli from getting wasted.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 4 ounces pasta (Fusili works best!)
• 1/2 cup broccoli floret
• 2 -2 1/2 cups water

FOR THE SAUCE

• 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Add pasta and cook for about 5-8 minutes.
3. Stir in broccoli and cook 5-8 minutes more, or until pasta is al dente.
4. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.
5. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and saute the chopped onion until translucent.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the pasta-broccoli water.
7. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Uncover, increase the flame to high, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the most of the water has evaporated.
9. Remove from heat and season with basil, parsley and oregano.
10. Stir in the cooked pasta-broccoli mixture and mix well to coat.
11. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve hot!

Reviews

[luvcook'n]

We really enjoyed this! I did however add garlic and hot pepper flakes and used spinach pasta. This is fast and easy to put together. Thank you for sharing this great recipe that will be made alot.

[Lori Mama]

Very nice dish. I doubled the recipe to serve 4 and used fresh chopped herbs instead of the dried. :)

[VeganFamilyChef]

My whole family enjoyed this dish. It was easy to make with clear instructions. Can't wait to make it with garden-fresh ingredients this summer! Thanks for sharing.