HEALTHY PASTA PRIMAVERA

Healthy Pasta Primavera

Organic Ingredients:

• 18 oz brown rice pasta or other gluten-free pasta of choice

• 1 head broccoli, chopped

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ½ cups shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped

• 2 zucchinis, roughly chopped

• ½ cup low oil-free vegetable broth

• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

• ½ cup starchy pasta water

• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast

• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped

• Pink Salt

Optional Add-in Ingredients

• 1 cup red pepper chopped (optional)

• 1 cup asparagus, stemmed and chopped

• 1 cup carrots, chopped into matchsticks

• 1 cup yellow summer squash

Optional Toppings

1. Shredded Manchego Cheese

2. Brazil Nut Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Add pasta and chopped broccoli to the water and cook until the pasta is very al dente. The pasta will continue cooking in the sauce after you drain it. 

3. Reserve and set aside ½ cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.

4. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the red onions, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini and other optional vegetables in small amounts of vegetable broth until the vegetables are soft.

5. While hot, mix in the broccoli and al-dente pasta with the remaining vegetable broth, reserved pasta water, and nutritional yeast in the large pot. If needed, heat to a slight simmer before turning off the heat and covering. The pasta will soak up some of the sauce and the starchy pasta water will create a light and creamy sauce.

6. Toss in fresh basil. Add pink salt to taste. Serve with optional toppings.

Switch it up:

Grill the zucchini, carrots, onion, or mushrooms (and other optional vegetables) and roughly chop before adding to the pasta and sauce for a smoky vibe.