Roasted broccoli and corn pasta bowl

This broccoli and corn pasta bowl is one of those recipes that saves the never-ending ‘what should I make for dinner tonight’ moment. Easy and full of flavor, it’s also on the healthier side.

We love our easy pasta recipes, don’t we? This is one of them. SO easy and delicious.

I don’t have a hectic house with a ton of children or picky eaters. But one way or the other we all have our full days. Mine are filled with work and obsessive hobbies – blogging? Instagram? – and I get home tired and hungry a lot of nights, longing for a plate of pasta to magically appear on the table. Well, it doesn’t. I have to make it happen. The nerve, I know.

Through the years I have traded rich and creamy sauces for simple fresh ideas. Some chopped fresh tomatoes with basil and parmesan are one of my go-to pasta bowl of all times. Sometimes I dress it up a bit with limes and jalapeños with outstanding results.

This broccoli and corn pasta bowl turned out a real winner. Roasting the vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper makes them deeply flavored without losing any of the crunchiness.

What happens when you roast vegetables.

Roasting means baking in an oven at a medium/low temperature which allows vegetables (or fruit) to use their own sugars for caramelization. This method concentrates flavor big time and makes a bland ingredient (zucchini for example) go to a whole new level of delicious.

Some foods have more sugar per se – butternut squash, carrots, beets, tomatoes – so roasting them really brings out a flavor that we don’t even know was there.

It’s the simplest way I know of avoiding boiling or steaming them, which in my case is labor intensive given the size of my kitchen and the absence of the right small appliance to do the job. I have to use several pans and keep checking that the water isn’t consumed. This I mention I get home tired and hungry?.

So, I always roast. I get the bonus of charred bits too. A win-win.

What is harissa?

The spicy part is given by harissa, that amazing north African condiment made with dried chiles and spices, that I keep in the refrigerator at all times. I even have a harissa powder. You can easily make it yourself, check the homemade harissa recipe in the egg curry post.

So, this vegetable pasta bowl has it all: pasta (your favorite dry pasta), spiciness, fresh vegetables, herbs, cheese, and dinner served in half an hour.

Types of pasta you can use.

Any short, dry pasta works really well here. Especially those with creases, like the fusilli here, because the sauce or vegetables get into those places and they flavor the pasta better than, for example, spaghetti.

So, my choice is fusilli first, macaroni second, and orecchiette third.

And, now that we have a broccoli emoji I had to share this wonderful spicy broccoli corn pasta bowl. I’m a big fan of emojis, really.

For other pasta recipes, you might love to click the Pasta recipe archive.

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Broccoli and corn easy pasta bowl

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: International

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Description

This broccoli and corn pasta bowl is one of those recipes that saves the never-ending ‘what should I make for dinner tonight’ moment. Easy and full of flavor, it’s also on the healthier side.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried pasta (cooked according to packet instructions)
• 1/2 medium broccoli (no stems, cut into chunks)
• 2 corn ears (shucked (or use frozen))
• 2–3 Tbs. harissa paste (or sriracha or other spicy red pepper sauce you like)
• 1/2 cup grated good parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• A drizzle of cream (optional but good if you like spicy but also creamy)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF / 190ºC.
2. Put broccoli in an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake  20 minutes, moving around once or twice while cooking. Add corn and bake 20 more minutes, until it’s charred but still crunchy.
3. Drain the pasta and mix with some olive oil (I use the same pot I cooked it in).
4. Add parsley, harissa and cheese and mix.
5. Add vegetables and mix well.
6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and cream.

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Notes

Use any type of pasta you like.

Vegetables: they can be roasted before hand and kept refrigerated for a few days.

 

Keywords: roasted vegetable pasta, broccoli corn pasta

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!