Broccoli Penne

Last week at the farmers market we bought fresh corn that we brought to a BBQ that night to watch fireworks. We bought ingredients for a super yummy fresh salad (red/yellow tomatoes, cucumber, sweet onion, red leaf lettuce). And we also bought a bunch of organic broccoli.

Since we'd be camping in Cat Lake for the weekend, I decided to whip up some broccoli pasta to bring along. As a child I hated broccoli but when we started getting them delivered in SF and Yap made a pasta (and hid sausage inside), I decided to give this vegetable a second chance.

So I boiled some penne with salt and left it to cool.

I separated the broccoli stems from the soft parts and chopped up the stems into small pieces. Started up a wok with olive oil and some minced garlic. Before the garlic became brown, I added 2 cups of chicken broth. As that boiled I added in the broccoli stems and half a sweet onion and salt and pepper. Let it cook for 10-15 min until the stems are soft. Then I added the rest of the broccoli in and left it in there for 5 min before turning down the heat.

Mixed up the penne in and let it simmer. I broke up 4 slices of Havarti cheese and mixed it in with my new creation. One package of penne was enough for 2 lunches and 2 dinners. I was definitely missing red pepper flakes but the consistency and texture of the sauce was perfect.

I added in diced red tomatoes and cucumbers when I packed it up for our camping trip.