Pesto Mushroom Broccoli Pasta

This creamy pasta dish is the perfect one pot recipe for a busy week night dinner. It's packed with nutrients from the veggies and mushrooms, and you can add chicken or fish for a boost of protein! I use a high protein, high fiber pasta for this recipe to meet my needs, but you can use any pasta you choose!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ox. ) Box uncooked rottini pasta

• 1 1/2 Cup broccoli, chopped

• 1 1/2 cup shiitaki mushroom, sliced

• 1/4 Cup pesto spread

• 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp pine nuts

Directions

1. Cook the pasta al dente per the package instructions, saving 3/4 cup of the starchy pasta water before straining the pasta (this is very important and will come in handy later; you can use a measuring cup and scoop the water directly from the pot).

2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped broccoli to the pan with 1 Tbsp of water and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Cook covered for 5 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and the butter to the pan and cook uncovered for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are golden brown.

4. Add the pesto spread, pine nuts and the seasonings to the pan and toss to fully coat the vegetables. Add the starchy pasta water to the pan and mix to create a creamy pesto sauce.

5. Once the pasta is cooked, strain the pasta and add it directly to the pan with the vegetables and sauce.

6. Toss to combine, serve and enjoy!