31 Days of Resolutions – Day 8
Broccolini is one of my favorite brassicas. I like it better than the typical broccoli on sale in grocery stores, which seems to have less and less flavor and more and more sulfur these days.
Did you know that broccolini is a recent invention? It’s a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan (“Chinese kale”) and was developed in Japan and commercially grown in Mexico beginning in 1994.
One of the best things about this veggie is that the buds, leaves, and stalks are edible. It’s a lot like asparagus in that way. So prep is simply washing it and trimming the stalk ends. There’s very little waste.
It also is loaded with Vitamins A and C , and fiber.
This recipe is easy and quick. It’s also so delicious that you won’t miss having meat with your pasta. So if you are cutting down on your meat consumption, you’ll love this dish.
Penne with Broccolini
Ingredients
- 8 oz. penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 ½ c. broccolini, chopped
- ¼ c. olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Shred Parmesan cheese. Chop garlic (or use prepared garlic).
- Begin cooking pasta according to package directions.
- Clean, trim, and chop broccolini into 1 inch pieces while pasta is cooking.
- When pasta is almost done, add chopped broccolini to pot and cover. Boil an additional minute.
- Drain pasta and broccolini.
- Heat olive oil in pot. Add chopped garlic and stir to heat garlic in oil. Be careful not to burn garlic.
- Add drained pasta and broccolini to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately.
