Pasta is a favorite family comfort food—it’s quick and easy to cook and always tastes good.
But with all those carbs can it be healthy too? You bet! The trick is to keep portion sizes under control and compensate by adding more lean protein and vegetables into the mix.
You might also skip the “regular” pasta, which is made from refined grains, and instead opt for whole-wheat varieties as we did in this recipe. Whole-wheat pasta is a good source of dietary fiber, and it hasn’t been stripped of the grain’s important trace nutrients and phytochemicals. So eat healthy this weekend try our Pasta with Procsiutto and Spinach recipe and tell us how you liked it!
Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach
Cheese tortellini adds great creaminess and flavor to this dish, and makes it super-simple. Beyond the pasta, you just need to cook some spinach (chard, kale, or almost any other green will work too), and toss everything together. You can also substitute pancetta(my personal favorite) or bacon for the prosciutto, but if so, you need to cook it until crisp before adding to the pasta.
1 (9-ounce) package fresh whole wheat cheese tortellini (such as DiGiorno)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.
3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss well.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 292 (28% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 103mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.8g; SODIUM 618mg; PROTEIN 14.6g; FIBER 3.8g
Super easy recipe that tastes GREAT! Try it tonight.
Happy Cooking,
Linda and Rachel
Friday, November 13, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Only 102 Calories per Serving
Enjoy our recipe of the week practically guilt free at only 102 calories per serving, as your main course, or include it as a side dish to accompany chicken or fish for added protein.
Eggplant Stackatini
Long prized for its deeply purple, glossy beauty as well as its unique taste and texture, eggplants are now available in markets throughout the year. In addition to featuring a host of vitamins and minerals, eggplant also contains important phytonutrients, many which have antioxidant activity. These nutrients are sometimes referred to as “free radical scavengers” which are shown to protect cell membranes from damage and improve overall health. In particular the benefits attributed to the nutrients found in eggplant promote anti-cancer, antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities!
Eggplant is a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). It is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and niacin. At only 27 calories per cup this vegetable packs in the nutrients and is stacked full of flavor.
Eggplant Stackatini
Eggplant:
2 medium eggplants
3 eggs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Filling:
15 oz lowfat ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Romano cheese
¼ cup diced roasted red peppers
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp black pepper
1 egg
Sauce:
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
14 oz can no-sugar-added diced tomatoes
8 oz can no-sugar-added tomato sauce
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Whisk together eggs, parmesan, water, salt, oregano and garlic powder. Trim ends off each eggplant. Cut into ½ inch thick rounds. Dip each slice into egg mixture and place on a non-stick baking pan with sides. Pour any remaining egg mixture over eggplant and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before carefully loosening each slice from the pan with a flat spatula.
Turn oven down to 350.
Step 2: In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer 2 minutes.
Step 3: For filling, mix all ingredients together in a bowl
Step 4: Assemble the stacks. In a casserole dish, place half the eggplant rounds in the bottom. Spoon 2 tbsp filling onto each round. Top each with another eggplant round. Pour sauce over top. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve garnished with basil. Makes 8 servings.
Calories 102 per serving
Total Fat 7.2 g
Cholesterol 102 mg
Sodium 465 mg
Carbs 2.4 g
Protein 7.2 g
Eggplant Stackatini
Long prized for its deeply purple, glossy beauty as well as its unique taste and texture, eggplants are now available in markets throughout the year. In addition to featuring a host of vitamins and minerals, eggplant also contains important phytonutrients, many which have antioxidant activity. These nutrients are sometimes referred to as “free radical scavengers” which are shown to protect cell membranes from damage and improve overall health. In particular the benefits attributed to the nutrients found in eggplant promote anti-cancer, antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities!
Eggplant is a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). It is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and niacin. At only 27 calories per cup this vegetable packs in the nutrients and is stacked full of flavor.
Eggplant Stackatini
Eggplant:
2 medium eggplants
3 eggs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Filling:
15 oz lowfat ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Romano cheese
¼ cup diced roasted red peppers
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp black pepper
1 egg
Sauce:
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
14 oz can no-sugar-added diced tomatoes
8 oz can no-sugar-added tomato sauce
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Whisk together eggs, parmesan, water, salt, oregano and garlic powder. Trim ends off each eggplant. Cut into ½ inch thick rounds. Dip each slice into egg mixture and place on a non-stick baking pan with sides. Pour any remaining egg mixture over eggplant and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before carefully loosening each slice from the pan with a flat spatula.
Turn oven down to 350.
Step 2: In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer 2 minutes.
Step 3: For filling, mix all ingredients together in a bowl
Step 4: Assemble the stacks. In a casserole dish, place half the eggplant rounds in the bottom. Spoon 2 tbsp filling onto each round. Top each with another eggplant round. Pour sauce over top. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve garnished with basil. Makes 8 servings.
Calories 102 per serving
Total Fat 7.2 g
Cholesterol 102 mg
Sodium 465 mg
Carbs 2.4 g
Protein 7.2 g
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