Spicy Broccoli and Angelhair Pasta

Last night I was home alone. Normally, Fridays are our pizza night, but since I was by myself, I didn't see the point in ordering a whole pizza. We really didn't have many ingredients in the house, so I scanned through my recipe print outs to find something I could make with what we had. I ended up with this recipe for Broccoli and Angelhair pasta - only we didn't have angelhair, so I used linguine instead.

Spicy Broccoli and Angelhair Pasta
Adapted from Sara Moulton of Food Network

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches broccoli cut into florets (about 7 cups)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves put through a press
2/3 pound angel hair pasta whole wheat linguine
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions



In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat until it is smoking. Add the broccoli, give it a quick stir and cook it covered, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. (It should look crispy and brown around the edges.) Turn the heat to low and cook it for 2 minutes more or until it is just tender. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and salt and pepper to taste and cook the mixture for 1 minute. While the broccoli mixture is cooking, boil the angel hair pasta in a large pot of salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is just al dente and drain it. Add the cooked pasta, chicken stock and half of the parmesan cheese to the skillet and bring the mixture to a simmer. Divide among 4 bowls. Top each portion with the remaining cheese.



Servings: 4

Review
I like making this because it's so quick and easy to throw together, and it tastes great. I started making it at 6 and was finished eating and cleaned up by 7:15. If you want something with some more substance, you can always add chicken to this dish, too. To make this dish vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock instead of the chicken suggested above.