This was really really easy to make. Seems like everything I make lately is really easy to make. Anyways - sure, I used more pans than I needed, but who cares!? I now have leftovers to last me a while…..or lunch tomorrow. I got the original recipe from thekitchn and then changed a few things. The recipe calls for bacon and squash. Well, unbeknown to me, the bacon decided to spoil ahead of its schedule. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention? Either way, the dish automatically became meat-free. The original recipe also includes squash. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I’m not a huge fan of squash. I do like broccoli and had some on-hand, so we can all guess what I used.

Penne and Broccoli in Goat Cheese Sauce
original recipe from thekitchn <—click here for the recipe w/squash and bacon

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 pound Penne
Broccholi - as much or as little as you want.
3 ounces goat cheese
small handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook the onion in a little bit of oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium-low heat until very soft and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

While the onion is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Add the broccoli to the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add a splash of olive oil.

Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, set aside, then drain the pasta and add to the pot with the broccoli and onions. Crumble the goat cheese on top and stir until it is distributed throughout the pasta, drizzling in the pasta water to help make the sauce.

To add a little bit of kick to the dish, I added a tiny bit of crushed red pepper flakes.