Taste as you go

I love to make pasta, all kinds of pasta with all kinds of different sauces and toppings.  This dish is one of my favorites for many reasons. It's simple, flavorful, and quick, but mostly I love it because it reminds of something my Grandma used to make quite often.  She was an amazing cook, her family owned an Italian restaurant for years and she had a love for making people happy with her food.  One cooking tip she taught me early on was to taste as you go and season accordingly.  A lot of the recipes that are posted on here will be seasoned to my liking, so if you really like parsley, oregano, or red chili pepper flakes...by all means experiment and add in whatever you think would be tasty!

Broccoli and Cannellini bean pasta:

Get the water started for your pasta.  This sauce will make enough for about a half pound of pasta.  While your water is going.  You can get started on the sauce.

3 cups chopped broccoli
3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 can Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup cooked, frozen spinach or 3 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and set aside. Mince garlic cloves and saute in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook over medium-high heat.  Be careful not to overcook the garlic, it only needs to cook for about 30 seconds, then add in the one can of Cannellini beans.   Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add in the broccoli, cook together stirring occasionally for about five minutes, then add in the spinach.  Cook for another couple of minutes, turn on low and simmer until pasta is ready.  Also, I always like to add a few shakes of garlic salt at the end too.  Taste as you go and add more if you think it's needed.  If you like heat, you can add some red chili pepper flakes, I'd start with 1 tsp.  Top the pasta and veggies with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!