Quick & Easy Monsoon Pasta

Rain is falling steadily outside and has been for hours.  The temperature has dropped about 15 degrees since it started and I’m certain there’s a touch of Fall in the air.  It’s time for a simple but warm & filling pasta dish.

I came up with this formula years ago. The inspiration came from a recipe in an old cookbook that involved both boiling and sautéing vegetables.  Because I’m always looking for ways to minimize cleanup, this delicious dish came into being.

The pine nuts were a late addition to the recipe.  I really like the crunch they contribute.  Plus, they are rich in vitamin E, healthy fats, essential minerals, and B vitamins.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, and if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I often touch on the advantages of the cabbage family.  In last week’s post, I shared how they play a huge role in our anti-aging efforts.  In my Glazed Autumn Bake recipe, I mentioned the fact that the more crucifers you eat, the more you benefit, whereas most veggies have a ceiling.  And my post on Allergies reveals they contain quercetin, a pigment with anti-allergic functions.

The olive oil in this recipe is not heated, so its health-giving properties are higher than oil that is used to sauté.  And the touch of crushed red pepper adds a pungent quality that stimulates circulation and really brings all the flavors together.

Enough talk, let’s get on with the recipe!

Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Ingredients (use organic or non-GMO whenever possible)
6 heaping tbsp almond meal
1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt (or more to taste)
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1/4 cup pine nuts
10 oz pasta
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, diced small
1 large head broccoli, cut into medium florets
mineral salt to taste
1 – 2 tbsp good olive oil
crushed red pepper to taste
parmesan sub as desired (recipe below)

Directions
Prepare the vegan parmesan by combining almond meal, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, & salt in a small bowl and mix well. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary.

Toast the pine nuts in your pasta pot over medium heat for just a few minutes, tossing with a wooden spoon, until most of them have a nice tan color.  (Don’t walk away from them; they can go from having no tan to being burnt very quickly!)  Set aside.

Carefully wipe out the pot (remembering it’s hot) and add a good amount of water – maybe 3 cups more than if you were cooking pasta only.  Salt the water, cover the pot, & bring to a boil.  Add the pasta, setting your timer a for few minutes longer than usual.  (For example, my gluten-free pasta normally takes 12 minutes, so I set the timer for 15 minutes.)  At about 2/3 of the way through cooking (so, at the 10-minute mark for my example), add the potatoes.  Three minutes later, add the broccoli.  Boil until the pasta & broccoli are al dente and the potatoes are just soft.  Taste all 3 for salt, adding more to taste.  Drain.

Divide the pasta and veggies between bowls.  To each, add a drizzle of olive oil, a bit of crushed red pepper, and the parm sub to taste.  Enjoy, both the meal and the light clean-up! 

I won’t be around for comments this week, but I look forward to catching up with you next week! Have a great weekend! 😊

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.