The Corporate Cookbook

About This Recipe:

Ever since watching “What The Health” on Netflix last week, I have been really trying to experiment with more vegan recipes and limiting my meat and dairy intake. I love pasta, but regular tomato sauce can get pretty boring, so I decided to make a pasta salad with a more vinaigrette based dressing.

This recipe is perfect for the summer because it is light, colorful, and can be eaten cold or at room temperature. Even though it seems super simple, the combination of the shallots, white wine, garlic, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar, give tons of flavor to the otherwise bland, boiled broccoli. I also like adding sliced almonds on top for a bit of a crunch and some protein.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

-1 lb Fusilli pasta
-1 large head of broccoli, cut into tiny florets
-2 shallots, finely diced
-6 garlic cloves, minced
-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-3/4 cup white wine
-1.5 lemons, juiced
-2 tbls balsamic vinegar
-1/4 cup sliced almonds
-Olive oil
-Salt and pepper

Instructions (25 minutes)

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is almost al dente (about 7 minutes.) Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Add in the broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes with the pasta. Drain well.
2. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, pour in 3 tbls of olive oil. Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes until they are soft. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the white wine and pasta water, and let the mixture reduce for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon juice and cooked pasta and broccoli. Drizzle in the balsamic vinegar and another 1 to 2 tbls of olive oil.