A Broccoli Basil Bash

So it’s Saturday, 4:30pm and I’m on my break at work. As a college socialite, I usually entertain myself during these precious 15 minutes by chatting with coworkers and supervisors, checking emails, looking at last night’s pictures on Facebook, or walking across the street to get a coffee with my friends. But today, my stomach demanded an excursion to food and recipe websites. By the time my mouth was watering, break was over and the long wait until dinner began. Rushing home to cook up something delicious, I found my fridge meatless. Some fresh ginger on the verge of being forgotten caught my eye; parmesan cheese a few shelves up. A green head of broccoli sat off in the corner; pungent onions and garlic begged to be used. So it’s going to be like that, huh?

Yes, it was a meatless meal, but paired with some pasta, it’s not something that will sit on your plate for long. Ginger, basil and broccoli was Trifecta winner; the combination produced a taste that was sweet and bright. The hard block of parmesan was the perfect cheese to use as it is not a melty, stringy cheese, so it didn’t smother the broccoli or the pasta. However, it offered a nice little nutty and slightly acidic bite in the aftertaste.

Basil Ginger Broccoli and Pasta

Ingredients:

1 c broccoli, cut into small florets

½ onion, chopped

½ clove garlic, minced

1 t fresh ginger, minced

½ t dried basil

**½ c water, may be needed

2 T olive oil

½ c rigatoni pasta, cooked

¼ c parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Prepare the vegetables and spices. Cook pasta.

2. In large skillet, add olive oil. Heat over medium high heat.

3. Add vegetables and spices, cook for about 5-7 min. [Add necessary water parts.]

4. Place cooked pasta on plate, add broccoli mix, and top with shredded parmesan.

5. Instant NOMS.

Makes 1 serving. NOMS: 8