Protein Pasta

Protein Pasta

I grew up eating something we called “Spaghetti I-oy.” (Eye-Oy.) That’s how we pronounced it. I had no idea what that meant but I knew I loved it. It was a pasta dish my Italian step father and his family made every Sunday.

When I got older I realized the dish was really called Spaghetti Aioli (pronounced A-I-oli.) There are different versions of the aioli which they call an emulsion that include different variations of garlic, lemon, eggs, mayonnaise and sometimes mustard, but this recipe only uses garlic oil and egg and is not an emulsion but an oil. It’s made all in one pan after the noodles are drained and is super easy. Kids love it.

Today, after eating this for 30 + years and wondering what to do with some vegetables I had on hand (other than always roasting them), I came up with something quite tasty. Below is the combination of Spaghetti Aioli and some tasty concoctions I had in the house. Hope you like this as much as we did. This is now a new favorite and provides protein, unlike most pasta dishes that do not contain meat.

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb.- spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup- olive oil (my mom used vegetable oil before we knew anything about olive oil, do not use that- vegetables do not contain oil. LOL!)

3 cloves- garlic, peeled and crushed with a fork, it will turn golden brown. Also add it to the pasta and eat it.

1 large- egg

2 handfuls (or about 1 cup, pulsed) – cauliflower, washed and pulsed in the food processor until it resembles “rice.”

1 handful (or about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, pulsed) – broccoli, washed and pulsed in the food processor until it resembles green flecks of powder.

1/2- (3.5 ounce bag) – sun-dried tomatoes, also pulsed in the food processor

1- 2 ounce bag- walnuts, also pulsed

Directions:

Cut, clean and pulse each of the ingredients: cauliflower, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and walnuts and set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions approximately 8 minutes

While spaghetti is cooking, place 1/4 cup olive oil in a small saute’ pan. Add your garlic (peeled and crushed with a fork to release flavor)- you are making garlic olive oil. Allow this to get hot and the garlic to get golden brown, (not dark or it can get bitter.)

Once pasta is done, drain and return it to the same large pan.

Place one egg in the center of the pasta and then pour the hot oil and garlic over the top slowly cooking the top part of the egg.

Turn the burner on under the pasta on medium heat and with two forks, continue to pick up and stir the pasta. You will see the egg cooking and turning white. Once the egg is solid, remove from heat and add your pulsed ingredients and stir well.

You are not cooking the pulsed ingredients, only the pasta. The pulsed ingredients warm right through because of their small rice-like state. Serve immediately.

This pasta is even pretty! It has flecks of red, green, white. Just top with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and enjoy! You’re welcome! 😉

Steps:

#1) Cook Pasta and Add egg

#2) Garlic Oil (eat the garlic too!) YUM!

#3) Pour hot oil over egg to cook slightly. Add heat under pot now and stir till egg is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#4) Add pulsed ingredients and stir well

#5) One pot pasta dish

#6) Topped with Cheese