Broccoli Pasta Sauce is a great way to add more vegetables to your pasta dishes
I'm always trying to find ways to add more fruits and vegetables into my daily diet.
Most people don't get the recommended 9 servings of produce {5 vegetable servings & 4 fruit servings} a day. It can seem like a daunting task, so start with trying to get an extra serving than you usually do in a day.
Luckily, the summer is one of the easiest seasons to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. There are fruits & vegetables aplenty this time of year {love}!
Take advantage of this time to up the nutritional values of your meals and snacks by adding more fruits & vegetables!
This pasta sauce is an excellent way to incorporate more vegetables into your dinner. The broccoli sauce doesn't taste bitter but is light & lively thanks to the addition of lemon juice.
It has a great green color (thanks to the extra spinach) and is a welcome change from the standard tomato-based sauce for pasta.
Side note: lemon juice and other citrus juices or vinegar are all great things to add to dishes at the end of cooking. It helps brighten the flavor.
It really is worth trying. It was hard for me to quit eating the sauce while I was waiting for my pasta to cook (all of 7 minutes).
Oh and it's super easy & quick too! Try this soon!
Broccoli Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli chopped
- 3 TBSP olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 8 oz whole grain pasta
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes, just enough to soften it. Remove and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium-high and saute the broccoli for about 5-7 minutes. Lower heat to medium and stir in garlic. Continue cooking, while stirring, for one minute. Remove from heat.
- Once the broccoli-garlic mixture has cooled, add it to a food processor with the remaining ingredients except pasta (and optional toppings). Process until smooth. Add more lemon juice or broth if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente. Drain {reserve a tablespoon or so of pasta water} but do not rinse.
- Immediately toss the broccoli sauce with the freshly cooked pasta. Use reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
- Top pasta with optional toppings if desired. Enjoy!
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