Quick & Tasty: Penne with Broccoli

Busy days, I love them!  I'm the type that always has to be doing something otherwise I go stir crazy, sort of like my 16 month old son.   So, when it came time to think about dinner, Penne with Broccoli was my ticket.  This is my go-to recipe for quick, easy & flavorful.  It's a solid recipe, but I add some grilled chicken to make it complete.

Thanks Lisa for sharing this recipe with me :)

 

Penne with Broccoli (from Hertha Verdurmen, San Francisco, California, Sunset, MARCH 2004)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  broccoli florets
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot chili flakes
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• About 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12  ounces  dried penne pasta
• 1/3  cup  grated pecorino romano cheese

Preparation

1. Rinse broccoli and trim and discard stem ends. Coarsely chop tops and stems. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, stir olive oil and garlic often until garlic sizzles, then stir in broccoli, chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very soft and mashes easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to pan if broccoli threatens to scorch.
2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil; add penne and cook until tender to bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to pan.
3. Stir broccoli mixture into pasta along with cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

UPDATE: Want a recipe card? Here you go!

To print, left click >file >print. To save file to your computer, right click on image, then "save image as".

Sweet & Sour Broccoli Slaw

Need more veggies! That's what the little voice in my head keeps telling me.  Between making and eating most of the peanut butter balls and the recent ice cream purchase, I need more vegetables in my diet!   I didn't want to miss my chance on the ice cream since it was a Limited Edition and on sale for under $3!  Mmmm so good.....Dreyer's (Edy's for those of you on the East coast) Slow Churned S'mores ice cream.

Okay, so maybe this recipe isn't the healthiest vegetable choice, but I had the ingredients and it is very good.  Plus, it has to be better than stuffing my face with previously mentioned goodies. (I tried to cut the calories a bit by substituting Splenda for the sugar.)

Sweet & Sour Broccoli Slaw

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 pack of chicken flavoring from Ramen

1 bag of broccoli slaw

1 package of Ramen noodles, crushed

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I use walnuts)

Instructions:

Mix dressing, pour over broccoli slaw and noodles. Add sunflower seeds before serving.

I acquired this recipe from my sister Patty's friend while I was visiting St. Louis back in 2002.