Italian Pasta With Olive Oil And Lots Of Green Vegetables
I recently started getting crazy cravings for Italian food.
I have no idea what triggered this craving {Maybe this?}, but during this last month I ate pizzas, pastas and lasagnas – as if I lived in Rome.
Daniel and I order pizza for dinner more often than I ever did in my life.
We ate at Pastory every week for a month.
And last weekend, my friend, Naomi, told me that she found a small delicatessen in southern Tel Aviv that imports all kinds of amazing pastas from Italy – so how could I stop myself from stealing a package {or two …;) } from her?
It's not that I'm complaining, G-d forbid, but this uncontrollable craving is usually dealt with carbohydrates, and a lot of them…
And this is exactly where the problem starts – how do all of these carbohydrates {which usually manage to steal the show with lots of cheese and cream} get along with my desire to maintain a balanced and healthy diet?
Unfortunately, a craving like this is hard to resist, so as smarter people once said – “If you can’t beat them, join them!”
So I decided to give it a shot, and made a pasta dish full with super-healthy things sponsored by Mother Nature – green vegetables.
Why green vegetables?
I noticed that my Italian cravings led to eating less vegetables, especially the green ones – that are considered the most healthy and nutritious ones.
Green vegetables are not only low in calories, but are also rich in magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, E, K and calcium {the absorption rate from these vegetables is double the absorption percentage from dairy products}.
In addition, they are an excellent source of chlorophyll {helps with blood purification}, fiber and folic acid.
To sum it up – you should pile up those green veggies quickly!
So what do we have in this amazing dish?
The stars – spinach, broccoli, zucchini, leeks, peas, beans and basil.
The Carbohydrate – pasta in four colors {beets, tomatoes, basil and spinach}.
The taste enhancers – olive oil, onion, garlic, red chili, salt and pepper.
The villain – Parmesan {can’t live with it, but very difficult without it…}.
Shall we begin?…
◄◄ Italian pasta with olive oil and lots of green vegetables ►►
Preparation Time – 15-20 minutes.
Cooking Time – 10 minutes.
Quantity – 2-3 servings.
Ingredients –
- 250 grams of your favorite kind of pasta.
- 2 cups of spinach leaves.
- 1 head of broccoli, broken apart into small pieces.
- 1 large zucchini, sliced thin.
- 1 cup thawed peas.
- 1 cup of beans {best fresh, but I used frozen this time because they ran out of fresh ones in the supermarket}.
- Half a leek, sliced thin.
- A handful of basil leaves, cut or torn by hand.
- 1 large onion, {white or purple}, chopped.
- 4 large garlic cloves, sliced.
- About half a cup of olive oil.
- Salt and pepper.
- 1 flat tablespoon of the red chili spice {for the spicy lovers out there}.
- Parmesan.
Instructions –
- Cook the pasta in a large pot with boiling salt water {1 liter of water for every 100 grams of pasta} till it’s al dente {according to the manufacturer's instructions}.
- While the pasta is cooking *poach the spinach and broccoli in boiling water until they turn a bright green.
- Heat a large pan with half the amount of oil and fry the onion and leek until they turn transparent.
- Add the garlic, basil and red chili pepper to the pan, and fry for 3 additional minutes.
- Drain the pasta and then put it back into the pot with the rest of the olive oil.
- Add the remaining vegetables, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes {don’t let the vegetables get soggy – they should be a bit crunchy}.
- Pour the sauce into the pot of pasta and stir.
- Eat – with or without parmesan
* What’s the best way to poach vegetables?
Boil water in a pot with a little salt and put the green veggies in the pot for a short cook. Once they get an intense color, remove the vegetables using a spoon with holes and transfer them to a bowl with ice water {until you mix them in the pan with the rest of the vegetables}.
Bon Appetit!
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