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Simple Pasta with Olive Oil, Garlic & Spices

A spin on a traditional olive oil & garlic pasta dish. Clean, fresh and filled with aromatic spices.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people

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

  1. Cook pasta according to box directions and set aside.
  2. If using fresh broccoli, boil in a pot of hot water for 5 minutes or until tender and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Toss in pasta, mix well to incorporate. Pour in milk and mix again.
  6. 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.
  7. 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!