Penne with Asparagus, Bacon, and Tomatoes

This recipe may have a few more steps than is really convenient, but let me tell you - it's probably worth it. It just may be my new favorite asparagus recipe. The flavors are incredible, and it's definitely doable for any cook, as long as you are good at multitasking. It also makes for a huge and filling serving for relatively low calories.

Penne with Asparagus, Bacon, and Tomatoes

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

6 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta

2 slices uncooked Center-Cut bacon

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp fat-free sour cream

1/4 tsp salt

pinch black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes until bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon; immediately submerge into cold water to stop them from cooking. Drain cold water and set aside.

Using the same pot and boiling water you just cooked the asparagus in, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, parsley, and vinegar. Set aside. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon to desired doneness. Remove with a slotted spoon and chop, set aside. In remaining bacon drippings, add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked pasta to skillet, toss to coat thoroughly and turn heat to low.

Add lightly beaten egg, salt, and pepper to pan; toss well. Stir in sour cream and about 1/4 cup pasta water. Add asparagus pieces, bacon, tomato mixture, and cheese. Gently toss so the sauce and cheese are well distributed. Make sure the dish is heated evenly and serve. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

This is a recipe from Skinny Taste, one of my favorite blogs for healthy recipes. I modified it just a bit to up the flavor and downsize the servings and it turned out really great! I added mushrooms because I had some I needed to use up. I don't actually like mushrooms at all - but I chop them up really small and put them in recipes where I won't notice them, just because they are so good for you.

I'll definitely be making these again.

Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

serves 3 (one roll-up per serving)

3 lasagna noodles, cooked

3-4 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

2 mushrooms, diced finely

5 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp Egg Beaters

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

1/2 cup favorite pasta sauce (mine is Classico's Roasted Garlic)

3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay out pre-cooked lasagna noodles onto wax paper - make sure they are completely dry. Prepare baking dish by spreading just enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom, reserve the rest for later.

Mix together thawed spinach, diced mushrooms, ricotta, Egg Beaters, Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning until well combined. Take large spoonfuls and spread mixture evenly across the length of each lasagna noodle. Roll noodles up carefully and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and 1 Tbsp mozzarella per roll.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly! Enjoy!

Pasta Alfredo with Kale

Here's another simple weeknight dinner that I throw together. It takes a few dishes to make, but overall is hard to mess up and very healthy (assuming your Alfredo sauce isn't loaded with calories). I think kale can be hard to incorporate into recipes because it can be very tough and sometimes bitter, but cooking it down and saucing it up is a great way to include it into your diet. 

Pasta Alfredo with Kale

3-4 oz whole-wheat pasta

2 cups chopped fresh kale

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onions

2 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 cup store-bought (I like Classico's Light Alfredo) or homemade alfredo sauce

Put about an inch of water in a small saucepan with chopped kale and put over low-medium heat. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, checking periodically. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. If you time it right, the pasta will come out just shortly before the kale is done. 

On a third burner, saute onions and garlic (with a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired) until fragrant. Pour alfredo sauce and stir until heated through.

When kale is finished (it will still be slightly chewy, but more tender), drain well. Toss pasta and kale in alfredo sauce. Enjoy!

Serves 2.
 

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

serves 2

1 tsp olive oil

3.5 oz whole wheat uncooked pasta*

1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp egg beaters

2 Tbsp plain non-fat greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2-1 tsp dried thyme

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan, divided

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat, and add the pasta, turning the heat down to medium. Cook for a slightly shorter amount of time than specified by the package. (For instance, if the package specifies 10 to 12 minutes, cook for 9 to 10, or until just barely al dente.) Drain the pasta and toss lightly with olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, pureed pumpkin, egg beaters, and yogurt. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir in the pasta and coat completely with the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the thyme and garlic. Stir in 1 Tbsp parmesan.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

*Make sure to use a pasta like penne, small shells, or rotini. Spaghetti would work, but won't gather the sauce as well. 

Linguine with Garlic Spinach and Broiled Tomatoes

This was really simple but so delicious and gourmet-looking. Sort of. I like to flatter myself sometimes. It seems like a lot of steps, but if you read the entire recipe through beforehand and time everything correctly, it will be done in no time at all. It's worth it, especially if you like tomatoes. And cheese. And garlic.

Linguine with Garlic Spinach and Broiled Tomatoes

2 oz whole-wheat linguine

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

3-4 cloves minced fresh garlic

Sprinkle red pepper flakes, to taste

1 large tomato, sliced

1-2 oz cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone work best

Salt and pepper

Boil a small pot of water and set your oven to broil. Chop your spinach and garlic, then slice your tomato and lay on a paper towel to collect some of the moisture. 

When water boils, cook your pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly covered in cooking spray. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper, top with cheese, and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and slightly browned on top (don't leave the oven while you do this, it will burn quickly if you're not watching!). 

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic and red pepper, cooking for about 45 seconds until very fragrant. Add spinach and cook until wilted. When pasta is done cooking and drained, toss with spinach and garlic oil and put on serving dish. Layer the broiled tomatoes on top and voila! You've got a very healthy and delicious meal in front of you. 

Serves 2.

Enjoy!

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

This casserole is pretty easy to make, and you can honestly make a version of it with just about anything you have on hand. I happened to have whole-wheat spaghetti and asparagus, but I would imagine you could use almost any kind of pasta and vegetable. It's a pretty healthy recipe, and tastes great!

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

1 cup pre-cooked chicken breast, chopped

12 asparagus spears, cut into 2-3 inch pieces

3-4 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti, uncooked

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced finely

1/2 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1 can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 350F and coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Combine onion, garlic, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until completely combined, then add chicken breast and asparagus spears.

Break uncooked spaghetti into 2-inch pieces and add to chicken mixture, mixing slowly to make sure all spaghetti pieces are covered so they absorb moisture.

Put mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese evenly over top. Cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes until bubbly.

Serves 4-6.

Bon appetit!