Kenny Roger’s Garden Pasta
This is my copycat attempt at recreating the garden pasta served at Kenny Roger Roasters. It is one of the many side dishes choices when you order a quarter chicken at the restaurant. For some reason, I love Kenny Roger’s garden pasta a lot during my school days and I would takeaway only the pasta. Being the first tangy pasta I have eaten, it appealed to my taste buds a lot especially back then. I wanted to make this pasta at home because I honestly don’t think the food quality at Kenny Roger’s is worth my money :P I made my own version so that I can enjoy this garden pasta anytime while reminiscing the past.
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The key toppings in Kenny Roger’s garden pasta are red bell pepper, broccoli, carrot and red onion. The homemade version is really generous with the toppings.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS
Boil or steam broccoli florets. Drain the cooked broccoli and cool down under running water. Set aside.
Cook spiral pasta (or any favourite pasta) in a boiling pot of salted water until al dente (firm with a bite). Drain the pasta and cool down under running water. Set aside.
Make the pasta dressing, which is an Italian vinaigrette base. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried Italian vinaigrette & dried parsley flakes & chicken seasoning powder (yes, strange ingredient, I know).
Side Note: There is a powdery seasoning on Kenny Roger’s pasta which I think is similar to those powder seasoning for dry instant noodles? While I am unable to duplicate that, I used Knorr MSG-free chicken seasoning powder and LKK low-sodium soy sauce for a more savoury depth.
Whisk the pasta dressing by hand or a milk frother which gets the job done effortlessly in seconds.
In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, prepared broccoli, red onion, thinly sliced red bell pepper and shredded carrot. Pour the prepared pasta sauce over. Then mix well.
I used low-sodium soy sauce (another unusual ingredient in a pasta dish) to season the pasta to taste. It should be enough to make the pasta salty, but not enough to taste the soy sauce. Season the pasta to taste. If you like your pasta more tangy, add more vinegar.
Mix well and the pasta is done!
Kenny Roger's Garden Pasta Recipe
As this pasta is inspired by Kenny Roger’s restaurant, I kept to broccoli, red bell pepper, red onion and carrot for toppings. Check out my Italian garden pasta recipe for more toppings ideas.
Ingredients:
- 150g broccoli florets
- 200g spiral pasta (fusilli) or any favourite pasta
- 1 tbsp salt for cooking pasta
- 1/2 small red onion sliced thinly
- half red bell pepper cut to long thin strips
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
Pasta Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) to taste
- 1 tbsp zero-calorie pancake syrup or honey to taste; omit if you like it super tangy
- 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp MSG-free chicken seasoning powder
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp garlic salt (or small pinch of fine salt) to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
You also need:
- mason glass jar or recycled jam bottle or salad dressing bottle
Directions:
- Cook broccoli florets by boiling for 2 1/2 minutes or steaming for 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli and cool down under running water. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in a boiling pot of water with 1 tbsp salt added until al dente. Drain the pasta and cool down under running water. Set aside.
- Make pasta dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Whisk by hand or use a milk frother, ensuring the the chicken powder is fully dissolved & the dressing is emulsified.
- Make pasta. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, cooked broccoli, onion, bell pepper, carrot and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until the ingredients are well coated in the sauce. Season to taste if needed by adding more vinegar, honey, soy sauce or salt to taste, a little at a time. This pasta can be served chilled or at room temperature.
Cooking Note(s):
- This pasta keeps well in the fridge for 2 days. However, the broccoli florets will turn yellowish (reaction with vinegar) overnight. You can separate and mix in the broccoli only when serving if you plan to keep the pasta overnight in the fridge.
- Although chicken powder and low-sodium soy sauce seem like unusual ingredients in a pasta, they help to season the pasta for a more full-bodied flavour similar to Kenny Roger’s version. You can skip them and use more salt if preferred.