Fat Free Pasta Con Broccoli

This dish takes me back to my childhood in St. Louis and heading out for a family dinner on "The Hill," a famous Italian-American neighborhood with some of the best food on the planet!   My sister Jnet and I would always get the same thing every time ..PASTA CON BROCCOLI, of course!  Unfortunately, all those years of pounding fatty artery clogging oily pasta did takes it's toll in my early 20's when I was overweight and sick...not to mention dateless, too.  WAIT!!  I do remember one date to "The Hill", my girlfriend tagged along that evening as a third wheel and my date ended up leaving with her!!  Which left me soaking up my tears in oily pasta wondering why boys could just like me for my sparkling personality ;(

Luckily those days long gone as a Healthy Vegan, but my craving for yummy carb loaded pasta is soooo NOT!  I've been trying for years to create a Fat Free Pasta Con Broccoli, then finally it hit me... ADD BEANS!!   Either white or black will do the trick in achieving that cheesy like texture I oh so miss.

Pasta Con Broccoli Ingredients

• 16oz (1lb) - Cavatelli noddles
• 2 1/2 C. - Fat Free Pasta Sauce
• 1 Can - Black or White Beans
• 1 TSP - Brown Sugar
• 1 TSP - Dried Basil
• 1/4 TSP- Crush Red Chili Peppers
• 1/2 C. - Frozen Spinach
• 2 C. - Frozen Broccoli

Bean Marinara

Preparation:  Put beans, red sauce, basil, brown sugar, and chili peppers in a blender or food processor and combined.  

Pour bean marinara into a sauce pot over Med-Low heat.  Add spinach and broccoli.  Heat for about 10 mins. until warm.

Cavatelli Pasta Noddles

Preparation:  Bring 5 qts. of water to a boil.  Add a pinch of sea salt and stir pasta.  Boil 10-12 minutes or to desited tenderness.  Drain pasta in colander, and mix in a large bowl with bean marinara.