Last Updated on November 27, 2022 by Practical Cooks
There are two things I’m often looking for in a recipe, apart from it being delicious obviously!
First is having a recipe I know is quick to make when the day seems to have gotten away with me and the hunger pounces without warning.
And second is figuring out how to include some greens. No matter what diet you’re following, one thing all nutritionists agree on is the need to include plenty of cruciferous vegetables!
“Cruciferous” sounds like a fancy word, but it’s simply pointing to a family of vegetables that are mostly green and include broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and cabbage.
Cauliflower seems like the odd one out because of its color but definitely fits in due to its nutritional profile.
This spaghetti dish is so quick to make, but you wouldn’t think twice if you ordered it in a restaurant! Things don’t have to be complicated to taste good!
The Details:
| Yield / Servings (number) | 2 |
| Prep time (mins) | 3 |
| Cook time (mins) | 12 |
Ingredients
Spaghetti – 250 grams
Garlic – 4 cloves
Tenderstem Broccoli – 1 small pack.
Sunflower seeds – 3 or 4 tbsp for the dish (but I like to make ½ cup to have for salads)
Extra virgin olive oil – 2-3 tablespoons
Salt & cracked black pepper
Method
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil with a large pinch of salt. Add the spaghetti and set a timer to go off 3 minutes before the recommended cooking time on your pack..you’ll see why in a minute! Eg. If the pasta cook time is 11 minutes, set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add your sunflower seeds. Keep an eye on these throughout and shake the pan every 30 seconds or so. They’ll take about 5-10 minutes. Remember that they cook faster the longer they’ve been in the pan, when they have turned golden place them in a bowl to the side.
- Rinse your tenderstem broccoli and chop off the tails if needed.
- Mince the garlic.
- The tenderstem broccoli takes no more than 3 minutes to cook perfectly. Add it to the pot of pasta when the timer goes off. Set another timer for 3 minutes.
- While the broccoli cooks, heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Stir frequently to let that garlic flavor permeate through the oil.
- Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked, strain the water and add them to the pan. Mix well and serve topped with the roasted sunflower seeds, a pinch of salt, and some cracked black pepper.
This mid-week winner is so simple, so tasty, and only takes 15 minutes!
It’s a beautiful combination of lightness from the broccoli along with a subtle depth of flavor due to the roasted sunflower seeds.
The broccoli will be giving you lots of vitamin C and K, as well as many important minerals! The sunflower seeds bring riboflavin too, which plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s energy supply.
Enjoy!
