This recipe is part of a series of posts especially for college students and first-time cooks, made using only items from the College Pantry and equipment from the College Kitchen.

So, this meal isn’t very pretty. I’m blaming my over-enthusiastic sriracha hand for the fugness here, but I wouldn’t be sharing this if it wasn’t delicious. And easy!

I’ve hacked the ever popular one-pot noodle formula for a really tasty, beefy broccoli-ey version. This recipe also makes enough to feed an entire dormitory hall. I’m exaggerating, but conservatively I’d say this serves at least six.

Finally, I have to give a little product recommendation. Frozen broccoli, while convenient and healthy and life-saving in many applications, is rarely pretty. But Whole Foods frozen broccoli is convenient and healthy and actually quite nice looking. Just look at those perfect little florets! Not a stemmy chunk in sight.

One Pot Beef and Broccoli Noodles

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp neutral-flavored oil (like peanut)
1 onion, sliced
1 lb whole wheat angel hair pasta
1 qt water (4 cups)
2 tsp better than bouillon
1 small bag frozen broccoli

Method:
1. In your biggest, deepest pot, brown meat over medium-high heat while breaking it up with a spatula or spoon. When the meat is cooked, drain off the fat. Add minced garlic, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil and stir to combine. Remove meat to a plate and set aside. You will add this back to the noodles at the end.
2. In the same pot, heat 1 tsp neutral-flavored oil and cook sliced onion until slightly browned and translucent.
3. Add dry angel hair pasta to the pot with the onions, breaking the noodles in half if they don’t fit whole. Cover with water (I needed 3 cups at first) and add bouillon.
4. The pasta will absorb water as it cooks. The goal is to add enough water for the pasta to reach al dente texture, but not leave a lot of liquid behind. Stir the pasta while it cooks to keep it from sticking to itself.
5. Once the pasta is pliable, add the frozen broccoli and the fourth cup of water. Continue to cook and stir until the pasta is al dente. How do you know when it’s done? You taste it.
6. Add the meat back to the pasta and stir it to distribute. Taste the finished dish and add more soy sauce if it’s needed. Top with sriracha, but maybe be more delicate about it than I was.

This meal doesn’t freeze awesomely, so get some friends to help you eat it, or make a half-batch. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. Another good option is cooking the meat with it’s seasonings, onions, and broccoli together without the noodles and serving it over rice. The meat/onion/broccoli mix will freeze well in freezer bags.