Broccoli Pasta with Kielbasa |Cooking With Amanda

It's 4:00 and my house is a mess. Dishes have not been done, and my toddler is on the train to crazy--bouncing off the walls and impatiently waiting for Dad to get home so he can go "fish".

It's about this time every day during the workweek that I dread. Insert one pot meal! (You're welcome right now.) I gather the remaining energy I have to do dishes and clean up the house--maybe even fold a load of laundry after I've hit it on "refresh" about four times during the day.

Then I start to think about dinner. Most weeks I have my menu planned so that it's one last thing I need to think about. I try to prep dinner by 5:00, but some days I just can't get the meal prep done before 5.

What I love so much about this one pot broccoli pasta with kielbasa is that I can get this prepped and cooked in 30 minutes. 30 minutes!

Yes, you read that right. Can you imagine minimal dishes, and a flavorful dinner on the table in 30 minutes? My husband and I are both Polish, so kielbasa is a staple ingredient in our diet. We love to grill it, or just boil it and eat it with pierogies.

However, most recently I've been adding it to pasta dishes and it has amplified the flavors of our meal. The past on it's own is good but when you add in the kielbasa it amplifies it like no one's business.

I used baby broccoli for this recipe; however, regular broccoli would be fine. And if you don't have fresh broccoli on hand, you could use frozen. Just add the frozen broccoli in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

I typically like to add in 2 cups of spinach or some sort of leafy green (like a power blend). It just depends on what I have on hand. Either work well, or if you don't like the leafy greens then don't add them. That's what is great about a one-pot recipe, you can always add in or take away ingredients depending on your palate. So if you're looking to simplify your weeknight dinner plans, try my recipe for broccoli pasta with kielbasa!

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Broccoli Pasta with Kielbasa Recipe

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
12 ounces kielbasa, sliced in moon shapes
3 cups bow tie pasta
3 cups water
1 bunch baby broccoli
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and diced onion. Cook for 2 minutes.
While the onion cooks, slice the kielbasa and chop the broccoli. Add to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.
Then add in the bow tie pasta, mix well and add the water. Place the lid on the skillet and cook for 15 minutes. At the 10-minute point add in the chopped broccoli stalk. Mix well and cover. At the 3-minute point add in the tops of the broccoli. Mix well and cover.
Once the water has absorbed turn the heat off. Mix in the fresh spinach and lemon juice. Add in half the grated parmesan cheese, mix and add in the rest of the cheese. Divide evenly among plates, top with cracked black pepper and enjoy.