Pastaaaaa. I have been craving pasta for quite some time now. I don’t know why. Probably because carbs = love.

Pasta has always been one of my favorite foods. I grew up with an Italian grandma and her penne arrabiata with charred peppers was the best.thing.ever. It has ruined almost all other pastas I’ve had since. Nothing like what Oma cooked up. Somewhere I have her recipe for her sauce. I can never make it quite like she did though…must be that Italian grandma magic.

I decided to make some pasta with some leftover veggies I got to take home from an event. I roasted up some cauliflower, broccolini, and tomatoes on Friday, and while I was eating them, the deliciousness of the roasted tomatoes just called for pasta.

I was too lazy and hungry to make it at the time, but today I cooked up some whole wheat noodles, paired it with steamed broccoli, a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, salt & pepper, a bunch of Vegan Hemp Parmesan, and the real MVP, the charred tomatoes.

Super simple, very flavorful, and far from over-complicated. The way Italian-inspired food should be, as far as I’m concerned.

Let’s talk pasta for a minute, shall we? At some point society demonized the glorious stuff. The thing is, there is nothing inherently significantly worse about pasta than many other forms of carbohydrates, especially when it’s whole grain.

Pasta, especially whole wheat, contains protein, carbs, and fiber, which make for a filling, satisfying food choice. While veggie noodles are fun and delicious too, don’t be afraid to eat real pasta if you want it. Deprivation does not equal physical and mental health.

I guess my point here is, don’t let the Instagram ‘health food’ universe convince you quinoa and oats are the only “acceptable” forms of carbohydrates. Reconnect with the inner-noodle in you when the craving strikes.

This dish came together in no time at all and was very satisfying in terms of taste, texture, flavor, and satiety. If you want to up the heat a notch, add some red pepper flakes. I didn’t have any on me, but could see that working out quite well.

I used an old box of Whole Wheat Barilla Rottini pasta for this dish. I happen to really like whole wheat pasta. Yes, it tastes different from non-whole wheat pasta, and sometimes I do prefer regular depending on the dish. But for hearty meals with veggies, I dig whole wheat. You can use whatever noodles you want. I’m not here to judge you.

I also have 2 boxes of Banza I’m excited to give a whirl. If you have an recipe suggestions for them, let me know!

Now get to noodling, friends!

Pasta with Charred Cherry Tomatoes, Broccolini and Vegan Parmesan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2-3ish

Ingredients:

8 ounces pasta

3/4-1 pound broccolini (broccoli rabe)

16 ounces cherry tomatoes

1-2 cloves garlic (depending on how garlic-y you like things)

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flacks (optional)

1/2 cup Vegan Hemp Parmesan

Method:

Preheat oven to 420°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Halve cherry tomatoes. Rinse broccolini and trim ends, if desired. Place in a bowl. Mince garlic. In a small dish, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil/lemon juice mixture over broccolini and tomatoes. Toss well. Lay broccolini and tomato halves on parchment paper, spacing out the vegetables so none are overlapping. Place baking sheet of vegetables into the oven and cook until broccolini is slightly browned and tomatoes are charred, about 12-18 minutes, turning halfway through. While vegetables are cooking, boil noodles as directed on box. Drain noodles and return to pot. Add warm vegetables to pasta. Add 1/4 cup Vegan Hemp Parmesan and mix well. Add red pepper flakes, if using. Add additional oil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with additional Vegan Hemp Parm Enjoy.

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