This is my second go to pasta meal and you’ll see a lot of the same ingredients I used in the first go to meal I posted about. These are my go to meals for that reason — I can keep my pantry stocked with the same ingredients for the most part, and get 2 easy quick meals out of them in one week if need be. Once again, I found this one on Pinterest.

I liked this recipe for a few reasons.  One being Mr. Chocolate has been on a big broccoli snacking kick for the last few months, so he always picks up a huge bag at Costco. Like most toddlers, it’s hard to get Drake to eat veggies, but with the way the broccoli is cooked in this recipe, he can’t avoid it!

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The recipe calls for these ingredients:

  • 12 oz uncooked pasta
  • 6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper

To beef up the meal and make it more substantial, I add chicken (sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and whatever seasoning I have around). I boil the water and then cook the pasta (I use bow ties and shells because Drake likes those shapes, but any pasta will do) and broccoli together when it’s time.  The broccoli becomes very soft and attaches itself to the pasta.  There will still be some chunks of broccoli depending on how you break it up as it cooks and also when you added it.  I have tried adding the broccoli at different times for different textures, but I prefer to just cook it with the pasta right off the bat since I like that Drake can’t pick it off as much then and gets some of the greens even if he won’t eat the chunks I offer him.

Once the pasta is cooked and the broccoli is soft and mushed, I quickly drain the water and put the pasta and broccoli back into the same pot (I hate dishes so I try to make most things a one pot/pan thing). I pour in the olive oil, garlic, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper and sometimes Adobo, and mix it all together so it’s nice and combined. I eyeball everything and taste and adjust as I go.  Then I sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top until it’s nice and cheesy. Sometimes I saute mushrooms in butter and add them to the mix as Mr. Chocolate and I are big mushroom eaters, though Drake is not and will spit them out so I don’t do it very often. Overall the meal takes about 30-40 minutes!

What are some of your quick, easy go-to meals?