Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli,
Green Olives, and Pine Nuts

Fresh broccoli from a farmers’ market is sweet and tender.
Pungent olives and meaty pine nuts offer nice contrasting flavors.
Broccoli stalks add crunch.

9 cups broccoli florets (about 2 pounds)
1 cup chopped broccoli stalks
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups hot cooked whole-wheat penne (about 1/2 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1. Cook florets and stalks in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 8 minutes or until golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in golden florets, stalks, olives, nuts, marjoram, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta; sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup broccoli mixture, 1 cup pasta, and about 1 tablespoon cheese).

Nutrition Analysis: 397 calories, 13.3g fat, 2.8g saturated fat, 18.1g protein, 59.4g carbohydrates, 11.3g fiber, 5mg cholesterol, 849mg sodium.
Good source of: fiber, iron, and calcium

Nutrition Facts: Selenium and Whole Wheat Pasta
Named after Selene, the goddess of the moon, selenium is an essential trace mineral that is necessary for maintaining a host of bodily functions: normal thyroid function, cardiac function, immune function, pancreatic function, and tissue elasticity. This marvelous mineral may also have the ability to improve sperm production and motility, as well as prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. And if that weren't enough, selenium also acts as a potent antioxidant, both as a part of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, as well as in a synergistic relationship with the antioxidant vitamin E. (As a beneficial side effect of its relationship with vitamin E, if you take in enough selenium, you will reduce your need for vitamin E.)

Because it's a mineral, selenium cannot be produced by the body and must be taken in through diet. Luckily, the foods that are high in selenium are also flavorful and satisfying foods: Selenium is found in substantial quantities in Brazil nuts, tuna fish, oysters, flounder, turkey, chicken, wheat germ, brown rice, oatmeal, eggs, sunflower seeds, shrimp, and garlic (depending upon the soil).
Whole-wheat pasta has a distinctive robust taste and a chewier texture than regular semolina pastas. Since this type of pasta is made with whole-wheat durum flour, it is naturally higher in nutrients than unenriched semolina pasta. However, since semolina pasta is enriched, whole-wheat pasta is actually lower in B vitamins and iron than semolina pasta. But whole-wheat pasta is still a good source of these nutrients, and contains about two-thirds more fiber than semolina. Moreover, whole-wheat pasta is significantly higher in the antioxidant mineral selenium.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Stamp Program, an equal opportunity provider and employer through the California Nutrition Network. For information about the California Food Stamp Program, please call 1(650) 301-8720