Oil Free Broccoli "Cheddar" Pasta |

What a happy accident this was! That seems to be a theme of my recipes in the last few months: I find a handful of scraps in my kitchen and challenge myself to turn them into something special.
In this case, I had a sweet potato, half an onion, 2 flimsy-looking carrots and half crown of broccoli. I'd also recently ordered a case of Banza Pasta from Thrive Market, and I was eager to start making a dent.
Less than an hour later, I had these absolutely dreamy-creamy vegan broccoli shells!
I'm not sure I could articulate exactly what makes noodles + "cheesy" sauces + broccoli an incomparable trio, but I sure can enjoy it! Especially when you're also getting a mega dose of nutrition.
This pasta dish is full of goodies like Vitamins A, B, C and E, fiber, beta-carotene, folate and sulforaphane, the compound in broccoli with potential cancer-fighting properties. As a result, consuming this delectable dish may help improve digestion, fight inflammation and promote focus and mental clarity. Sounds like a win-win to me!
This recipe makes A LOT of food, so feel free to halve it, if you like. Or go ahead and make the whole batch, then freeze part of it. You can also use my "cheddar cheese" sauce as a dip for a whole host of veggies or chips or drizzled over a baked potato (YES). Potato on potato = happiness. You can also certainly add other toppings or sources of protein: chicken sausage, chickpeas, grilled shrimp...whatever sounds good!
If you give this recipe a try, please tag me on Instagram @lauraleabalanced #llbalanced, so I can see your beautiful creations!
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