Pasta with Asparagus

I love love love Gina at www.skinnytaste.com. I've made several of her recipes before, which were really yummy. I also really enjoy using her recipes to prove to Kevin that "diet" foods can taste good. But last night I was craving an actual cooked meal, and even though Kevin was gone, there was some asparagus I needed to use up and I remembered one of her dishes that I have been wanting to make.

Pasta with Asparagus (my changes are in italics)

• 1 lb thin asparagus, cut into 2" pieces, tough ends trimmed
• 6 oz uncooked pasta
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed (used 5 cloves)
• salt and fresh cracked pepper (used 1/4 tsp each of salt and white pepper)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (used Romano)

In a large pot boil 4 cups water with salt. When boiling, add asparagus and cook 3-5 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain asparagus in colander reserving 1 cup liquid before draining.

Fill pot with salted water, cover and boil for pasta. When water boils cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until golden, add asparagus, salt and pepper and sauté about 1-2 minutes, tossing with oil and garlic.

In a small bowl combine egg yolk, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/4 cup reserved asparagus liquid, salt and pepper. Mix well. After pasta is drained return to pot and mix with egg mixture. Cook on medium-low about 2 minutes, until sauce thickens and sticks to pasta. Toss in asparagus and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If pasta seems too dry add more reserved liquid a tablespoon at a time.

Serve with additional grated cheese. 

Serves 4.

--------------------------

This was a nice light pasta, yet very filling. The original recipe didn't specify an amount of salt and pepper so I tossed in a little then added a little bit more to my serving. I didn't want to ruin the whole thing by making it too salty, which I have done before. :-/ I'll definitely make this dish again when Kevin is home... it was delicious and so quick and simple! The leftovers were pretty good too, which I find is rare for non red sauce pasta dishes.

A Lighter Alfredo Type Dish

I had every intention of making me some yummy Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) for dinner this evening. Thank goodness I tried the sauce before adding the chicken because it was HORRIBLE. And into the trash can it went. So I went though my bookmarks to find something I could make with already cooked cubed chicken and found a lighter chicken alfredo from Weight Watchers. I took it step lighter due to what I already had in the kitchen and came out with a not quite alfredo, but pretty yummy dish. And let it be known that I halved everything in this recipe except the cheese because I wasn't paying attention. :P

A Lighter Alfredo (my changes are in italics)

• 6 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed with a knife
• 1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, washed, patted dry, four 4 oz pieces (mine were cubed)
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth (had to make some from a bouillon cube)
• 1/4 cup(s) heavy whipping cream (used extra light 3%)
• 1/4 cup(s) whole milk plain yogurt, Greek-variety (used regular lowfat)
• 1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fettuccini (used elbow macaroni)
• 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano suggested (used romano)
• 1/4 cup(s) parsley, fresh, flat-leaf, finely chopped, divided (omitted)

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Rub garlic over chicken; reserve garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper and rub in seasonings with your hands; set aside.

Off heat, coat skillet with cooking spray and then set over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden, flipping once, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine broth, heavy cream and yogurt; pour over chicken and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to incorporate seasonings. Simmer chicken gently, turning once, about 30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Remove chicken from cream sauce and set aside. Add Parmesan cheese to cream sauce and mix until well-combined. Add cooked pasta and 3 tablespoons of parsley; toss well. Serve pasta topped which chicken and rest of parsley. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 2/3 cup of pasta/sauce per serving.

--------------------------

 

I'd like to say that the picture is after it set out for 30 minutes or so. I was so hungry I forgot to take one before I dug in. It's definitely not the creamy alfredo that I love, but it was pretty good and definitely satisfied any alfredo craving I had. I'm sure it would have been creamier had I halved the cheese like I did the rest of the recipe. And I'll leave you at that because I really need another bowl. :)

Low Fat Mac and Cheese

Kevin leaves for Munich for two weeks tomorrow, so for dinner I wanted to make something that would yield a lot of leftovers that I could eat while he's gone. Cooking for one is such a pain. I've made this recipe from RecipeZaar once before (yes, I do realize it's sacrilegious to make low fat macaroni) and we ate it for leftovers for two or three days afterward. So if you make this, be warned... it makes a lot of macaroni.

Low Fat Mac and Cheese (my changes are in italics)

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 3 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (used whole wheat)
• 1 tsp dry mustard (used regular mustard.. Kevin says it's close enough)
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt 
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk 
• 1 cup nonfat sour cream 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, from about 2 cups dried (used whole wheat penne)
• 1/4 cup corn flake crumbs or dried breadcrumbs (used FiberOne last time, omitted this time)

Coat 2 quart casserole with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. stir in flour, mustard, paprika, and salt. slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously until there are no lumps in the flour. continue to stir with whisk, raise the heat, and cook until milk bubbles and thickens.


Remove from stovetop and stir in sour cream, egg, and cheese.

Toss macaroni and the cheese mixture together in a bowl and then pour it into the casserole. Top with the cornflake crumbs. Set in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (I did almost 40), or until bubbling around edges.

---------------------------

So yummy! Not Stouffer's, but I don't think anything will match that. :) We're pepper fans so we eat this with a bit of black pepper on top, which I think makes it even better.