“Don’t look at fear as fear. It’s just the awesome adrenaline rush you get when you are badass enough to make a change.”
This recipe is a twist on the classic olive oil and garlic pasta. I have to give my momma credit for this recipe. She’s quite the creative cook, always taking a medley of spices and whisking them into a flavorful dish. All her dishes always come together, no matter how odd I think the flavor combinations are. Though, the hard part is the measurements with her! She is an old school cook, she cooks without any measurements or measuring utensils. And quite frankly, that’s when you know the food is going to delicious! I spent some time with her in the kitchen & got this recipe perfected so you all can test it out!
Also, this recipe is quite versatile. You can serve it as a side dish, take to a potluck or even toss some meat to it as a full on dinner meal! Personally I like to use it as a meal prep for the week. I’ll make this on a Sunday and then divide it up amongst little containers, before you know it, I have lunches set aside for the week.
A flavor tip from my kitchen to yours: you will notice in the ingredients and directions, the recipes calls for the same spice twice. Initially you will sauté with a 1 tsp or so of the spices and then add additional spices once the pasta has been added in. This is twofold: 1. Some of the flavor gets lost in the sauté process as the oil heats and spices burn and 2. This is to ensure you get full on flavor from this dish. A neat little trick I learned from my momma’s kitchen.
Simple Pasta with Olive Oil, Garlic & Spices
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz box bow tie pasta
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp optional, as needed
- 1 broccoli stalk boiled & cooked, about 1 cup of raw broccoli florets
- 3 garlic gloves diced
- 1 serrano chili diced
- ½ orange bell pepper thinly sliced into small 2 inch strips
- ½ yellow bell pepper thinly sliced into small 2 inch strips
- ½ green bell pepper thinly sliced into small 2 inch strips
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 tbsp water
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 8 oz package reduced fat Mexican cheese 4 cheese blend
Spices:
- ½ tsp oregano + 2 tsps
- ½ tsp parsley + 2 tsps
- ½ tsp red chili powder + 1 tsp
- 1 tsp garlic powder + 1 tsp
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes + 2 tsps
- ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cumin + 1 tsp
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to box directions and set aside.
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If using fresh broccoli, boil in a pot of hot water for 5 minutes or until tender and set aside.
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Heat oil in a large wok over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle (about 30 seconds or so), add in garlic cloves, serrano chili, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp parsley, ½ tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp black pepper and ½ tsp cumin. Reserve the other tsps for later! Mix to incorporate spices with oil.
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Toss in bell peppers, onions & 1 tbsp of water. Continue to mix and let sauté for ~2 minutes & then add in broccoli. Let all veggies sauté for ~2-3 minutes additional, depending on preference.
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Toss in pasta, mix well to incorporate. Pour in milk and mix again.
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At this point, add in the remaining measurements of the spices listed above. Add in: 2 tsps oregano, 2 tsps parsley, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsps red pepper flakes and 1 tsp cumin. The reason for this is: when sautéing veggies in oil and spices, some of the taste gets lost. Adding spices during the final step, gives the food more flavor! If you feel as though a bit more oil is needed add in a tbsp of olive oil and mix well.
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Lastly, add in 1 package of reduced fat Mexican cheese. You can start with using ½ of the pack and then add more depending on preference!
