Healthy Vegetarian Recipes: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Pasta is great for making easy meals, but it's not always quick. The absorption technique in this macaroni and cheese cuts cooking time and boosts flavor.
Nutrition Score per serving
(3 oz. macaroni
½ broccoli) 299 calories
18 g fat
4 g saturated fat
68 g carbs
5 g fiber
3.6 mg iron
180 mg calcium
300 mg sodium
Serves: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
| 1 | tablespoon olive oil | |
| 1 | clove garlic, minced | |
| 3 | ounces elbow macaroni | |
| 1 | pinch red pepper flakes | |
| 1⁄2 | teaspoon salt | |
| 1⁄2 | cup frozen broccoli florets | |
| 2 | Freshly grated parmesan cheese |
Instructions
Bring 1 ¼ cups water to boil and set aside.
In a small Dutch oven or saucepan with a lid, combine the olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, just until the garlic starts to sizzle but not brown. Add the macaroni and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Some sides of the elbows will start to turn opaque. If the garlic starts to brown as the pasta is cooking, proceed to the next step immediately.
Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and stir to coat the macaroni.
Add the hot water and salt and turn to high heat. Stir well.
Bring the liquid to a boil, and then lower the heat slightly (you still want a rolling boil—not a simmer) and cover. Cook, stirring every minute, for a total of 5 minutes. The pasta may stick to the bottom of the pan, but it will loosen easily as you stir.
Add the broccoli, stir, and cook for another minute.
Check the macaroni for doneness. If it's still hard, cover and cook for another 1 to 3 minutes, checking often. If there isn't enough liquid in the pot at this point, add a little more. If there's too much liquid when the pasta tests done, simmer for a minute at the end with the lid off to make sure the sauce has thickened.
Add half the Parmesan and toss. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining Parmesan.
Healthy vegetarian recipes courtesy of Cara Eisenpress and Phoebe Lapine of Big Girls, Small Kitchen
In a small Dutch oven or saucepan with a lid, combine the olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, just until the garlic starts to sizzle but not brown. Add the macaroni and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Some sides of the elbows will start to turn opaque. If the garlic starts to brown as the pasta is cooking, proceed to the next step immediately.
Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and stir to coat the macaroni.
Add the hot water and salt and turn to high heat. Stir well.
Bring the liquid to a boil, and then lower the heat slightly (you still want a rolling boil—not a simmer) and cover. Cook, stirring every minute, for a total of 5 minutes. The pasta may stick to the bottom of the pan, but it will loosen easily as you stir.
Add the broccoli, stir, and cook for another minute.
Check the macaroni for doneness. If it's still hard, cover and cook for another 1 to 3 minutes, checking often. If there isn't enough liquid in the pot at this point, add a little more. If there's too much liquid when the pasta tests done, simmer for a minute at the end with the lid off to make sure the sauce has thickened.
Add half the Parmesan and toss. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining Parmesan.
Healthy vegetarian recipes courtesy of Cara Eisenpress and Phoebe Lapine of Big Girls, Small Kitchen
