Tonight, I wanted something yummy for dinner, but also nutritious. I didn't feel like running to the market, so I had to work with what I had. Here's what I came up with:
Quoina Pasta (Penne) with "Pink" Sauce and Broccoli:
I love Quoina Pasta! I find it at my local supermarket. I prefer it over wheat pasta, and I find the taste not too far off from the pasta we are used to eating.
Quoina (pronounced keen-wah) is gluten-free, high in iron and fiber, and it's a great source of magnesium. It's also low in cholesterol and sodium. While I am not a nutritionist, it does sound pretty darn nutritious to me!
I have also seen lots of research and postings on how Quoina is a great source of plant-based protein, a power house food, and can help with weight loss. You may or may not have heard that grains can be bad for you because they contain high levels of what's called glycemic index. Glycemic index (GI) effects a person's blood sugar level, which can lead to lots of health complications. Quoina is low it GI, making it a better option for you.
Broccoli is good for you, and I am sure you know that! When it's in pasta with yummy sauce, it really doesn't effect the taste or vibe of this dish. Embrace the broccoli!
Ingredients:
Broccoli
Pasta
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Basil (Dried)
Pepper (Optional)
Red Pasta Sauce ('Marinara Sauce', any kind)
Half and half (Or heavy cream, light cream...)
(All my ingredients were organic, I always buy organic and non-GMO products.)
Now here's what I did: (Not all measuring are included because I always eye things as I go, but I tried to estimate some things for you! Depends how much pasta you cook and how much sauce you prefer. I love sauce, so the more sauce, the happier I am :) Feel free to add more spices, use more veggies, any type of red pasta sauce...)
Cooked the pasta until tender. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heated the sauce for about 2 minutes. Added 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, garlic powder, and basil. Stirred and let sit for another minute or so. Then I drained the tender pasta, and added it to my sauce pan, combining the mixture and pasta, eyeing if I wanted more sauce or not. I let that sit for another few minutes, stirring and tossing constantly. Then I added half and half until the color of sauce was to my liking! Let sit for another minute, add more garlic if you'd like. ;) Remove from heat when done cooking.
Meanwhile in another pan, start on your broccoli mixture. I had organic frozen broccoli, I put about 1 cup of it with about 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Once that was tender (about 5 minutes), I added the same jarred red pasta sauce I used for my pasta. I didn't put too much, because there's already sauce with the pasta--maybe 1/2 cup. I stirred that and added some garlic powder and pepper. Then I added some half and half until pink enough for my liking. After a few minutes, I dumped this broccoli mixture in the pan with the pasta.
All done! Now enjoy. Sprinkle some cheese on top if you want...
This was just a spur the moment dinner with barely anything in my fridge or cabinets! See what you can throw together in a pinch... ;)
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