My mom made this dish for me recently and I all but died and went to heaven. Even my son couldn’t stop eating it.
It’s also one of the quickest and simplest pasta dishes I’ve ever made. It’s definitely a great meal for anyone with little time to make dinner.
Make a huge pot so you have plenty to take with you for the next day as well.
You could even freeze a little to save for the weekend. I read that in a post somewhere. Somebody left a comment that they make large amounts of food when they cook and then freeze some for the weekend so they don’t have to cook on the weekend. I think that is probably one of the most brilliant ideas I’ve ever heard. I love to cook, but I never seem to have time on the weekends. Weekends are busy around here to say the least! So I’ll be implementing this little tip from here on out. Brilliant. Simply brilliant.
And just a side note: Did you know that broccolini is a hybrid combination of broccoli and Gai Lan, also known as Chinese chard?
(Makes approximately 14 cups – this may vary depending on the pasta used)
Ingredients
1 lb. whole wheat pasta
2 bunches fresh broccolini
6 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions
Step 1 – Cook your pasta according to package directions.
Step 2 – While the pasta cooks, wash and roughly chop your broccolini.
Step 3 – Chop your garlic.
Step 4 – Saute your garlic in a non-stick pan. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 5 – When the pasta is about 5 minutes from being done, add the broccolini to the pasta pot to cook.
Step 6 – Strain pasta and broccolini in a cullender and return to pot.
Step 7 – Mix in garlic and parmesan. Serve.
You can also mix in some chicken, but I usually serve mine on the side.
Eat and Enjoy!
Munchkin Helpers:
If you have little ones, here’s how they can help (With close supervision, of course).
This is a fun one for the little ones. They can wash the broccolini, help chop the garlic if you have a vegetable chopper where they can just push the button, and they can stir in the parmesan.
Bigger kids can cook the pasta and garlic, and both young and old can combine and stir the final ingredients in the pot. This is a simple dish, but with some creativity, you can involve your kids in almost every aspect of its preparation.
Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1 cup
Calories: 157
Total Fat: 3 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 6 gm
Sodium: 112 mg
Carbohydrates: 25 gm
Dietary fiber: 3 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 8 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 14
Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com. Data may not be accurate.
Caution: Any time a child is in the kitchen, they will require close supervision. Munchkin Helpers suggestions should be applied with common sense to your own child, taking their own capabilities into account. Do not assume that because it says here that your child can do something, that they can, in fact do it. Please use common sense when in the kitchen with your child(ren).
Enjoyed this recipe? Like it, Tweet it and leave a comment below!
The Gracious Pantry has been featured on Shape.com!
