SUPER SERIOUS VEGGIE (+ chicken if you want?) PASTA

This pasta is out of control. I love it because I fool myself into thinking I'm eating a crap-ton of carbs when I'm really only eating a little. Or, "The more fresh veg you put in your whole grain pasta, the better! Trick your brain (and totally EMO heart) into eating more of the good stuff with that pasta!" The creaminess of the coconut milk mixed with the flair of the seasonings melt together perfectly. There's quite a few ingredients in this beast, but a little work in the kitchen won't kill ya. This will make enough for 4-5 people, or make it as a side dish and serve more!

I'll shut up now.

The Components:

1lb whole grain spaghetti (see my "Oh Yeah" below on this, and gluten-free pasta works on this too!) 
1 chicken breast (optional), sliced into thin pieces 
1-2 tbps organic, unrefined coconut oil
1 small/medium red bell pepper, diced
1 small/medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
8oz of fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of unsweetened, original coconut milk
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
Mix in small bowl:
2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper seed
2 tbsp cumin, chili powder
Save some of that pasta water, about a cup will do before straining!

How to Make it Happen:

If you're using the chicken breast, place it in a small bowl and add the seasonings and mix it all up. Saute chicken for a few minutes, until cooked and set aside.

Prep your veggies and fill a huge pot (enough for a pound of spaghetti) with water and salt until boiling. Throw in the pasta and in the meantime, saute all veggies (except for tomatoes) in large pan/pot (preferably with a lid so the broccoli steams well, it's ok to add it in while it's frozen). Let it all cook until the veggies are soft but soggy. You'll know when they are done. It takes a bit. Add tomatoes last.

Add in the coconut milk and mix around. Let it simmer for a few minutes. If you used chicken, you can add it in at this time.

Make sure spaghetti is cooked and toss all together in a large bowl. You may want to add some of that saved pasta water (or if you forgot like I do ALL of the time, add chicken or veggie broth) to moisten more.

Oh Yeah:

Three ways to determine if a pasta is 100 percent whole-grain (from TODAY HEALTH):

• Check the ingredients list. All grains/flours should be preceded by the word “whole.” Brown rice and oat flours are automatically whole-grain. 
• Check the front of package. It should clearly state “100 percent whole-grain” or “100 percent whole-wheat.” Make sure you specifically see “100 percent” on the label!
• Look for products that contain the orange WHOLE-GRAIN stamp.