Vegan Mint Pasta

Today, I was given a great bushel of mint, causing me to think about what I can do with so much fresh mint.  Other than snacking on it, that is.  I decided to make a mint pasta dish!  The majority of the recipes I found I couldn't make due to lack of ingredients and laziness to go to the store, so I made up my own!  Definitely try it, I am enjoying every single bite.


Vegan Mint Pasta

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup fresh mint

olive oil

8 oz whole wheat pasta

1 bunch broccoli

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 handful of spinach

salt, to taste

I started by putting the parsley, mint, and olive oil in the food processor and ran it until it looks like pesto.  I salted it a little, but not too much.  (I'm not sure how much olive oil I used, I just dumped some in.  I never measure olive oil, so all of this is guess work in this recipe.)

Meanwhile, boil the pasta until al dente.  After draining, put a little olive oil in to keep the pasta from sticking.

In a large pan on high heat, I cooked the chopped broccoli for about 5 minutes in olive oil.  Usually, I either give the stock to my dog as a snack or add it in.  Today I did a little bit of both.  I always salt my broccoli when I cook it, but be careful not to add too much, you just want to bring out good flavors.  I added the garbanzo beans, and after about 3 more minutes, I mixed everything together in the pasta pan.  Then, I added the spinach.  This allows it to wilt a little, but mostly stay stiff.  If you want more silted lettuce, add it to the skillet after the garbanzo beans, mix it up, and then dump it in the pasta.  I also should mention that I like my vegetables crunchy, so if you like your's more soft, cook the broccoli longer over lower heat.

Serve and enjoy!

                           

I have to say, I did an amazing job.  This recipe is just the perfect combination of fresh-lighness, from the mint, and hearty meal.  Also, the mint and the parsley together are amazing!  I might use this combination for my morning smoothies, too!