I don’t know about y’all, but I cook in phases. Sometimes I’m really into couscous and then I won’t cook it at all for months on end. Other times, I’m obsessed with pasta (whole wheat, of course!) and then I’ll practically shun it from my mind. Not so long ago, it seemed like Daniel and I subsisted on quesadillas with guacamole for 2 meals a day… for weeks on end. And then there was the turkey roll-up phase of Summer 2005.

Well, right now I’m in the middle of a super-charged marinara sauce with broccoli moment. I prefer it on top of Organic Whole Wheat Rotelle from Trader Joe’s or spooned over polenta a la Giada. Tonight I went extra-wacky and enjoyed my special tomato sauce on top of rotelle AND polenta. Whoa!!! It was delish and just might be my new favorite way to eat this little creation of mine! I love the flavors of polenta, but sometimes it’s not quite as filling as I’d like it to be. And while I enjoy pasta at times, a whole bowl of rotelle can become kind of boring. With my innovative new combo of polenta with pasta (Who am I kidding? It’s more weird than creative! LOL!) I add a nutty substantialness to the creamy polenta texture. Perfect!

Beth’s Broccoli Marinara on Polenta or Pasta or Both!
Serves 2-4 or more (leftovers are great!)
Takes about 30 minutes or less

What you need:

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 chopped onions
2-3 Minced or chopped garlic cloves
Approx. 2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (or homemade) I like Trader Joe’s Basil Marinara
1-2 T toased pine nuts
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
salt and pepper to taste

2-4 servings of cooked pasta and/or freshly made polenta with butter

1. Prepare the pasta or polenta according to package directions and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan or skillet, warm the olive oil over medium low heat then add the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the broccoli florets (and carrots if you use them) and maybe 1/4 cup of water and steam the broccoli by upping the heat a bit, boiling the water, and covering the pan for 3-4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green. Remove the cover and boil off a bit more of the water. Be careful not to overcook the broccoli! Better to err on the side of less cooked.
4. Pour in the marinara sauce. Depending on the proportions that you like, you can use the whole jar or about 3/4 of it. On second thought, you might as well throw in the whole jar, right?
5. Let the sauce and veggies warm all the way through. Throw in the chopped fresh spinach at the end and add salt and pepper to taste. Top your pasta or polenta with some of the sauce, a few toasted pine nuts, and grate some fresh parmesan on top.
6. Plop yourself in front of the TV to watch American Idol and enjoy!

Happy Weeknight!