Super Easy Broccoli Pasta, Parmesan Bashing, and Inertia

Oh Monday.  Another week, another renewed attempt at clean living.  I ate like a total garbage can over the weekend.  Somehow, I was persuaded to eat both fried cheese curds and then fried pickles on Saturday evening all in the name of carb therapy for a friend.  What can I say?  The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak or something like that.  Ugh.  I must be a really good friend.  Shaking it off.

Let's do something easy and clean, shall we?  This is a simple broccoli and pasta recipe that I found via Skinnytaste.  I adapted it slightly to add a little more pizazz.

Exhibit A

What you need for 2 big servings or 4 small servings:

1 cup of uncooked pasta ((I used gemelli))
3-4 cups of broccoli
2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 of a red pepper
4 green onions
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Get a pot of water on to boil.  While that is heating up, chop up your broccoli, removing the stems.  Set aside.

Mince the garlic, chop the green onions (the white parts), and the red pepper and put aside separate from the broccoli.

Once the water is boiling, add both the pasta and the broccoli to the pot.  I typically do not boil vegetables and in fact, I can be kind of a loud mouth about why you shouldn't boil vegetables.  ((Who me?))  It sucks out the nutrients which kind of defeats the whole purpose.  However, for some reason, I was feeling overly complacent today and decided to do as the original recipe said.  Next time, I will steam the broccoli separately because that's just the way I like it.  So there.  We knew that complacency wouldn't last...

After about ten minutes ((or whatever the package says)), remove the pot from the stove and scoop out about one cup of the pasta water and set it aside.  Throw the pasta and the broccoli into a colander to drain.

Return the pot to the stove and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  ((It will get hot fast, so turn the heat down.))  Add the garlic, red pepper, and green onions, and let them cook for a couple of minutes until they smell mega-delicious.  Add the pasta, broccoli, and the cup of pasta water back in.  Crack some salt and pepper over the top and stir.  ((The original recipe said to add another tablespoon of oil at this point, but I didn't think it was necessary.  Use your judgment.  If you have any judgment, that is.))  Smash the broccoli to break it down into small pieces if it hasn't fallen apart completely too.

Remove to a serving bowl and top with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  I'm telling you.  If you are buying and using that Kraft crumbled crap, we can't be internet friends anymore.  You can get a huge thing of Parmigiano Reggiano at Costco for less than ten bucks.  Seriously, I know.  I hate Costco too, but just do it.  GAH.

Obviously, there are tons of ways you could modify this...  Add other veggies, add some chicken.  Go crazy.  Don't let me of all people slow you down.

Nutritional Info:  For 1/4 of the recipe, approximately 275 calories and 7 grams of fat.  Not. Too. Shabby.

This picture would suck with crumbled Kraft Parmesan cheese.  I'm just saying.

Ooh.

*****

Off to get back to work.  It is a big week around here...  Lots of things are coming together at a really fast pace.  Luckily, I can keep up.  Happy Monday!