pasta with Broccoli, Tomatoes, and Olives

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This dish can be made in both the colder and warmer months. The beautiful colors of the vegetables can brighten up any dish, and the flavors pair well with any variety of pasta. Growing up, my grandparents always grew basil in our backyard to make pesto sauce. Since I was a child, I loved the smell and taste of this herb, and now I find that it is the perfect addition to many meals. I use it in this recipe to give that extra pop of flavor!

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Yields: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

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  • 2 cups fresh broccoli
  • 1 batch broccolini (SCORE if you can find this, but if not, just add another cup of broccoli)
  • 1.5 cups grape tomatoes 
  • 1/2 can sliced black olives
  • 1 cup fresh chopped basil (+ more for garnish)
  • Avocado oil or garlic infused oil for *fellow fodmappers*
    • Low FODMAP Tip: If you don't have garlic infused oil, you can use 4+ whole cloves of garlic and remove them from the food after sautéing. The garlic will flavor the cooking oil and food but the fructans from the garlic are not soluble in oil, which means they wont leech into your food. Thank goodness for no tummy troubles!
  • Himalayan pink salt & black pepper to taste
  • Pinch or 2 of red crushed pepper
  • 5 oz cooked gluten free pasta of your choice (just boil, you know the deal ;))

Directions:

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  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Set a large pot of water to boil and salt the water
  3. While waiting for the water to boil, rinse and slice grape tomatoes into halves
  4. Transfer tomatoes to a baking dish/bowl
  5. Drizzle tomatoes with oil of choice (I used avocado oil to withstand higher heat) and season with salt and pepper
  6. Roast tomatoes in the oven until the skins just start to get a little wrinkly and soft (about 15-20 minutes) and then remove and set aside
  7. While tomatoes are cooking, add broccoli and broccolini to the boiling water 
  8. Boil for just about 7-10 minutes
  9. Drain broccoli and broccolini
  10. In a large skillet, add garlic infused oil (or whole garlic cloves and oil) and heat the pan. 
  11. Add the sliced olives into the pan and mix to cook with garlic
  12. Transfer the broccoli and broccolini to the pan and add more garlic oil to fully flavor the food
  13. Add the tomatoes to the pan last
  14. Season with salt and pepper
  15. Using a wooden utensil, mix the vegetables until the broccoli becomes soft and breaks down into small pieces
  16. Add chopped basil at the very end and fold within the veggies
  17. Turn down the heat and add your cooked pasta to the skillet. Mix thoroughly to ensure even distribution of ingredients
  18. Plate your meal and add extra basil on top if desired and a pinch of red crushed pepper for some heat