![](\"https:\/\/www.simplyrecipes.com\/thmb\/Ijas3cnUEhnfcJVb1O_kAGF1DTE=\/3627x2418\/Simply-Recipes-Broccoli-Pasta-LEAD-03-5dffc9e06885432598fa034f67461d08.jpg\")
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I think all parents can relate to raising picky eaters. There is a spectrum of pickiness, and in my household it ebbs and flows. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, and my two boys have very opposite palates. One loves crunchy textures and bold flavors, and the other craves fruit and soft textures. One would gag at the sight of yogurt, while the other would subsist on yogurt pouches alone if I\u2019d let him.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Right now, my daughter is only one, so she\u2019s in the very fun stage of eating absolutely anything presented to her. Don\u2019t worry, this isn\u2019t my first rodeo\u2014I know she will soon exert her toddler independence and start launching most of her dinner clear across the kitchen.\n<\/p>\n
In an attempt to limit my time spent as a short order cook in my own home, I\u2019ve tried to come up with a list of dinners that everyone will eat, which is no small feat. By way of miracle, both of my boys love broccoli. I try not to ask too many questions about this as it\u2019s one of the few green vegetables they willingly eat.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Needless to say, we have broccoli a lot<\/em>. One of our favorite dinners is a quick and easy weeknight pasta dish chock-full of broccoli. I\u2019m talking equal parts pasta to broccoli. Seasoned with a little fresh garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and lots of nutty Parmesan cheese, these few humble ingredients transform into a delicious and comforting meal the whole family enjoys.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I often serve this pasta on its own, but if I have a rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken on hand, I\u2019ll toss that into the mix for a dose of protein. My husband and I like it with a hit of fresh lemon juice squeezed on top, but that never makes it past my harshest critics, so I always add it directly to my plate rather than the pot.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The key to this recipe is to cook the broccoli just enough so that it is soft enough to mash, but still retains its bright green flavor. If you are currently in a phase where green vegetables are a hard no (I see you!), feel free to use cauliflower instead.\n<\/p>\n Simply Recipes \/ Molly Adams<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n To make four to six servings, you\u2019ll need:\n<\/p>\n Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it\u2019s boiling, season it generously with kosher salt. Add the broccoli and cook until it\u2019s fork tender but still bright green in color, 4 to 6 minutes.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n While the broccoli cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat for about 30 seconds, then remove it from the heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let it infuse off the heat for about 1 minute.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n When the broccoli is cooked, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the saucepan with the garlic oil. Using a potato masher or a large sturdy fork, mash the broccoli until it is broken down into small pieces.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Bring the same pot of water back to a rolling boil. Add your pasta of choice and cook according to the package directions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, keep the saucepan with the broccoli sauce over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, to keep warm.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1\/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the broccoli along with the Parmesan cheese and about 1\/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Turn the heat up to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and the mixture has absorbed almost all of the pasta cooking water. Add more pasta water as needed until you have a creamy, glossy sauce. Taste, adding a squeeze or two of lemon (if desired) and salt if needed. Serve.\n<\/p>\n Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I prefer to reheat the leftovers on the stovetop in a pan with a little water or chicken stock until warmed through, but you can also simply reheat in the microwave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n #Broccoli #Pasta #Recipe #Ingredients #Minutes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I think all parents can relate to raising picky eaters. There is a spectrum of pickiness, and in my household it ebbs and flows. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, and my two boys have very opposite palates. One loves crunchy textures and bold flavors, and the other craves fruit and soft textures. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[92,167,69,203,60],"class_list":["post-797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dinner","tag-broccoli","tag-ingredients","tag-minutes","tag-pasta","tag-recipe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoz.xyz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Quick Tips for Making This Dinner <\/span> <\/h2>\n
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n How To Make My 5-Ingredient Broccoli Pasta <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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