Lightning Fast Pasta

Need dinner in a hurry? I am in that boat a lot these days. I was at a total loss last night around dinner time because I literally had nothing planned.   I almost made the old stand-by breakfast for dinner with scrambled eggs etc, but that just didn't feel right. I turned to my pasta stash and went from there. I whipped up this dish and it was pretty darn tasty and healthy too, which was a bonus. This is a cinch to make because it uses ingredients that most of us keep in our pantries. Here is the recipe in case you are ever at a complete loss when someone asks "what's for dinner?".

Pasta with Broccoli and Tomatoes


1 box whole grain pasta of your choice -- I used Barilla Plus Penne pasta
Frozen broccoli florets (about 2 cups give or take)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and ground pepper to taste ( I used kosher salt)
grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, boil water to cook pasta.  Add your pasta and cook until al dente, but about 4 minutes prior to the pasta being done, add the frozen broccoli florets.  Meanwhile, open your can of tomatoes and add a small amount of the liquid to a small sauce pan.  Heat it up a little and then add your minced garlic and cook until browned a  bit. Add the rest of the canned tomatoes with liquid, plus the basil, salt and pepper and then  simmer.  Once your pasta and broccoli are done, drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Pour the tomato mixture over the pasta then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Toss and serve!

Honestly, this recipe took about 15 minutes to prepare.  It was tasty, filling and best of all, healthy.  I love using the whole grain pasta because it is higher in protein than regular pasta so I don't feel like we are missing anything because this is a meatless dish.  If you don't have whole grain pasta on hand, regular pasta will also work just fine.

Bon appetit!


Kathy