Sausage and Broccoli Pasta and Zoodles
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I think something is going on.  For the last 6 months I haven’t made a single pasta dish that just used pasta. I’ve turned at least half of the pasta into vegetable noodles!  I never thought I’d see the day when I would give up my pasta but it’s slowly beginning to happen.
Oh don’t get me wrong. I will never give up pasta all together. I’ve just been making my pasta dishes with half pasta and half vegetables noodles. It’s amazing that I can cut the calories and carbs in half by doing this and I barely notice a difference!  You can surely make this dish with just pasta or just vegetable noodles but I really like the combination of them both.
This is a great weeknight recipe because it has under 10 ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes.  That is my weeknight goal. It only happens 2-3 nights a week but it really helps out when dishes are easy.
This dish simply combines the pasta, zoodles, broccoli, and sausage.  Add in a little salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese and it’s finished.  How easy is that?  If you want to get a little wild and crazy you could certainly add in a few handfuls of mushrooms or even a few red pepper flakes. Go ahead, make it your own!
The zoodles and pasta really soak up the flavors of the dish. I thought it would be really bland because there isn’t much in it so I was surprised when it packed a lot of flavor.
Sausage and Broccoli Pasta and Zoodles
Ingredients
- 4 oz. spaghetti
- 2 zucchini cut into zoodles
- 8 oz. chorizo
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lb. broccoli cut into florets
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add in the pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain, reserving 2/3 cups of pasta water, and return pasta to the pan over medium heat. Add in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and zoodles and toss for 2-3 minutes or until zoodles are cooked. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, add the chorizo to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking up the sausage and flipping occasionally. Add remaining oil and broccoli to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender crisp.
- Stir in the black pepper, salt, lemon juice and reserved pasta water. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the pasta and zoodles to the skillet and toss to combine with the sauce, broccoli, and sausage.
- Serve and sprinkle with cheese.