I Don’t Have a Dinner Plan Pasta

This recipe was created on a busy week night after a long stressful day at the office. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping and I didn’t have a plan for dinner.  Rather than reaching for a stack of take-out menus, I checked the fridge and panty to see what was available. I decided to throw a few things together and to my surprise, I made a delicious dinner. This has become a go-to meal for those days when I just don’t feel like making anything fancy or time consuming. I change it up, depending on what I have on hand – sometimes I use kale, sometimes white beans – but it always comes together as a tasty meal.

Ingredients

• 14 ounce of uncooked pasta (I use Trader Joe’s gluten-free penne)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for half an hour and sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
• 14 ounce can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (I use a Simply Organic mix which contains oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• nutritional yeast

 Directions

1. Cook the pasta according the package directions. (But does anyone really the package  and actually follow the directions? I guess I should say “Cook the pasta as you normally would.”)
2. In a large pan or skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic and onion for about five minutes, until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, sundried tomatoes, seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10 minutes until the broccoli and cauliflower and crisp-tender, stirring often. Add the broth about halfway through to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the chickpeas, stir and cook for a few more minutes, until they are heated throughout. Add the salt and give it one last stir.
5. Toss the pasta and veggies together. Divide onto plates and top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and a handful of chopped olives.

Serves 4 – 6

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