Broccoli Walnut Tossed Spaghetti

  This has been an exceptionally busy semester, and I find it somewhat challenging (er, more challenging than usual) to find time for cooking.  I also had no time in the last week to go grocery shopping, so these ingredients were all I had to work with to make my dinner for the next 4 days.  Hm.

Not a problem!  I found a way to make a great dish that is both easy (really) and fast (i made all of it in 20 minutes, not counting the time I spent taking pictures and also making vegetable stock simultaneously).

Ingredients (about 6 servings):
-2/3 package of thin spaghetti
-1 can dark red kidney beans
-several big heads of broccoli
-1/3 cup walnuts
-1 onion
-S&P to taste

1.  First, boil the pasta.  Fierce, multigrain pasta that'll fiber up your life.

2.  Wash and chop broccoli into large chunks. 

Chop onions too.

Save the thick stalks of broccoli and outer layers of the onion for making vegetable stock.  I'll show you how next time.

3.  In a large skillet on medium heat, toast the walnuts by kinda shaking them around in the skillet until they're warm and fragrant. 

It will go from this...

To this... 

4.  After you've removed the walnuts, add some oil into the skillet, and add the onions.  Sweat them.  Sweat them good.

5.  Add broccoli.  Let them get nicely coated with onionified oil.

6.  Add kidney beans.  Make sure you've drained and washed them.  These add a neat texture, and some much needed protein and fiber.  Not to mention color.

7.  When pasta is done, drain and rinse them in cold water, then dump the pasta into the big skillet with everyone else.

8.  Toss!  Maybe not literally, or else you'll make a mess.  I am not able to toss large quantities of pasta in a skillet...you might need to use tongs or a pasta spoon.

Mmm!  Does that look tasty or what?

9.  Add S&P to taste (and maybe some garlic powder, cuz i can't help myself).

Mmm!  Look at this gorgeous dish!  It's low in calories, high in fiber, and really really cheap.  For a box of pasta (that i only used 2/3 of), a can of beans, broccoli, onion, and walnuts, you've only spent about $6.  That's a dollar a serving.  Niiiice.

Yum!

But wait!  There's more.  Remember those toasted walnuts?  Sprinkle them on top for a nutty crunch!

There!

I like that it's really light.  Pasta dishes (especially at this time of year) tend to be super heavy, greasy or cheesy, and makes you wanna hit the gym immediately.  This is light because instead of being drowned in sauce, it gets flavor from the onions, broccoli, and that nutty flavor of toasted walnuts.  Awesome!

Have a great week, everyone!

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.