Before I dip into the vegan recipes, let’s warm up with something vegetarian.

Let’s keep the cheese and cream for just a little while longer, shall we?

This dish feels like something you would make if you lived in Italy, went to market, saw a beautiful head of broccoli and just came home and put dinner together on a whim.  It’s a picture of simple Italian-style cooking.  If only every dish was this easy.

Preparation here is low-maintenance.  The pasta and broccoli are cooked in the same pot and the sauce comes together quickly in the meantime.  All you have to do next is toss the pasta with the sauce and add your cheese and you’ve got a lovely dish.  It’s also an easy introduction to vegetarian cooking.  The recipe calls for a little anchovy paste (don’t freak out- it’s not gross, it just adds a salty flavor), but that can be replaced with a little extra salt to make the dish truly vegetarian.  Most kids will go for it, too (you don’t have to tell them about the anchovy).

If you’re cooking for a pickier/non-veg crowd (little ones or men used to eating more meat), you can easily add a little grilled chicken or some crisp bacon to the dish.

While you give this one a try, I’ll be busy daydreaming about Jess making me this dish when I come to visit her in Italy..