Orecchiette with Broccoli, Asparagus & Spinach

I doctored up the original recipe for this pasta dish by just adding various veggies and less pasta. Orecchiette are these pasta noodles that are shaped kinda like little ears and I find them to be fun to eat! The sauce was just a little bit of wine and the pasta cooking water - simple ingredients and big flavors to report here. The recipe made a lot so I would suggest perhaps cutting it in half and serving with a salad. Blanching the veggies beforehand ensures that you don't have to cook the veggies long in the sauce so the meal came together in 30 minutes or less. Here is how I made it...

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Asparagus & Spinach       

Serves 6

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Asparagus & Spinach

ingredients

• 2 heads broccoli, chopped into bite-size florets
• 1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped into 1" pieces
• 5 oz fresh spinach, washed and drained
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 fresno (red chile pepper), seeded and finely chopped (you can also just use crushed red pepper flakes to taste)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 lb orecchiette pasta

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Shredded Parmesan for serving

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and asparagus and cook for 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon and submerge the veggies in a bowl full of ice and cold water. Let cool for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.

2. Bring the pot of water back up to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water before draining. Drain and set aside.

3. While the pasta is cooking; in a large deep skillet, heat the EVOO over medium. Add the chile pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli, asparagus and season with S&P. Add the wine and stir until evaporated, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add spinach tossing until spinach is wilted. Add the pasta to the pot of veggies along with some pasta water. Stir until well combined.

Serve in shallow bowls with shredded Parmesan over each serving.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Everyday Magazine.