pasta is easy.

my favorite comfort food, when i'm all alone with no one to judge the carb intake, is buttered noodles with a bunch of chopped garlic thrown in. mmm. and cheese. and maybe with some buttery garlic bread. or bread with pesto. fat + carbs = delicious! tonight we went a little above and beyond naked noodles. have to make up for our lack of veggies last night, after all. first, a green salad with lettuce from the garden. lettuce, we got. then, pasta with broccoli and grilled portobellos.

and garlic bread. mmm....garlic bread. the above would have been really delicious with a grilled red pepper as well, but the time for peppers has not yet arrived around these parts.

rotini with broccoli and grilled portobellos

1 big head broccoli

enough pasta to give you an acceptable broc:pasta ratio

a few cloves garlic

2-3 large portobello mushroom caps

1 cup grated hard cheese of your liking. or soft cheese. it's your dinner.

the usual: olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flake

chop broccoli into little trees and tree rings. chop 1-2 cloves of garlic. heat 1 tablespoon oil (i guess - i never measure) over medium-high heat. when hot, throw broccoli and garlic inside. season with salt, pepper, and pepper flake to taste. cook until crisp-tender, or just before. set aside.

put water on to boil. clean portobellos. heat grill to over medium heat. when water comes to a boil, salt and drop pasta. place portobellos on grill, and let cook 4-5 minutes on each side. your pasta should be done about the same time. place broccoli pan back on medium-high heat and add a small ladle of pasta water. add most of your cheese. drain pasta, toss with broccoli, and place sliced mushrooms over the top. mmm!

for the garlic bread, i just toasted up some slices and rubbed with a cut garlic clove. then buttered. you don't need to slather on the butter for this to really satisfy.

the garlic, broccoli, and mushrooms were from the farmer's market. the bread is local.