Pasta Amatriciana

Bacon + Pasta + Cheese + Jalapeños = A Very Happy Husband!

 Let me warn you up front, this is not the healthiest meal I have ever blogged!  Though, if you are looking for a full-flavored pasta dish with many less calories than your local pasta joint, this is your best bet. I have seen a hundred variations of this recipe, but I find the one I have put together to be the most simple and flavorful. It is also, by far, the most health conscious. No expensive, fancy ingredients. Just deliciousness. If your family unit is not in love with spicy foods like we are, use a pepper with a little less spice!

Ingredients

5 oz. whole wheat penne

4 slices bacon, chopped (I use less fat center cut bacon)

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

¼ cup parmesan or asiago cheese, shredded

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ small yellow onion, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 can tomatoes, diced (I used fire roasted)

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

1)      Fry bacon in a skillet over low heat until almost crisp.

2)      Remove bacon from skillet and let cool on paper towels. Chop when cooled.

3)      Wipe most of the bacon grease out of the skillet, but leave the skillet greased. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft.

4)      In a medium sauce pan, combine olive oil, bacon, onion, garlic, jalapeno and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

5)      While sauce is simmering, boil a medium pot of salted water and cook noodles until al dente. When draining pasta, save ¼ cup pasta water.

6)      Stir in basil, oregano and red pepper. Recover and continue simmering 2-3 minutes.

7)      Add half of the parmesan cheese into the sauce along with the pasta water. Stir constantly for about 1 minute.

8)      Recover sauce and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

9)      Plate pasta, top with sauce and remaining cheese.

10)   Serve immediately.

 Serves 2

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 496, Fat: 18g, Carbs: 64g, Protein: 26g, Fiber: 6g

Whole Wheat Linguini with Zucchini in a White Wine-Mushroom Cream Sauce! Yum!

I am an absolute pasta lover! I swear, I may have the look of a Swede, but deep down I must have some serious Italian heritage. I could probably eat pasta for every meal, every day. Though pasta is one of my favorite foods, the dish can be a calorie ridden one if done incorrectly. This take on a classic white wine cream sauce over linguini is about as healthy as they come.

   =

Originally, I wanted this dish to contain asparagus. The asparagus at the market looked small and soft, so I decided upon zucchini instead. Sometimes we must improvise!

Ingredients:

8 oz. Whole Wheat Linguini Pasta

1 Small Zucchini, Sliced

1 oz. Parmesan Cheese, Shredded

15 Sun Dried Tomatoes

For The Sauce:

¼ Cup Pasta Water

6-8 White Mushrooms, Sliced

1 Cup Skim Milk

½ Cup Organic, Low Sodium, Chicken Broth

½ Cup Chardonnay

1 ½ TBSP Flour

6 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 TBSP Olive Oil

½ TSP Dried Oregano

1 TSP Sea Salt

2 oz. Asiago Cheese, Shredded

Instructions:

1)      Boil linguini 10 minutes or until desired texture is reached. Save ¼ cup of the pasta water for sauce.

2)      While pasta is cooking, slice zucchini and mushrooms, and mince garlic.

3)      Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Let garlic brown for 2-3 minutes. Be careful to not burn garlic.

4)      Add sliced zucchini and mushrooms to skillet. Also add tomatoes. Let soften for 3-5 minutes.

5)      Add pasta water, chicken broth and chardonnay to skillet.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.

6)      Stir in skim milk.

7)      Stir in oregano and sea salt.

8)      Let sauce simmer, stirring constantly, cook sauce for 2-3 minutes.

9)      Slowly stir in Asiago cheese.

10)   Slowly stir in flour until desired consistency is reached.

11)   Coat linguini with sauce.

12)   Plate pasta and top with shredded Parmesan.

13)   Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Nutritional Info per Serving: Calories: 408, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 57g, Protein: 17g, Fiber: 8g

This pasta sauce is easy and delicious. The entire dish is incredibly filling!

This meal can be perfectly paired with a glass of white wine and a fresh Caesar salad. Delish!

If I made this dish again, I would add more Asiago cheese and several more sun-dried tomatoes!

Something to Look Forward to: How I Meal Plan

In my opinion, meal planning is one of the most important aspects of healthy and budget friendly eating. By planning meals out (breakfast, lunch and dinner) one is able to shop more efficiently and use ingredients already in the fridge, before they go bad. Some people think meal planning is far too time-consuming, but I disagree. I think it is crucial to save time and money.

Each week when I sit down to make my meal plan, I physically look in my fridge, freezer, pantry and fruit basket. I write down the items which will go bad in the next week. I also look into the amount of meal “foundations” I have remaining, like brown rice, pasta, quinoa and beans. I plan my meals around these items first. This significantly cuts down on the amount of food our family buys and wastes.

My meal plan and shopping list for next week:

Breakfasts

Monday: Bacon, Egg and Cheese “McMuffins”.

Tuesday: Kashi Go Lean with Banana and Berries.

Wednesday: Oatmeal with Fruit and Almonds.

Thursday: Healthy Cheesy-Bacon Breakfast Muffins.

Friday: Healthy Cheesy-Bacon Breakfast Muffins.

Saturday: From Scratch Blueberry Pancakes with Chia.

Sunday: Bacon, Egg and Cheese “McMuffins”.

Lunches

Monday: Brown Bag Lunches with Turkey Sandwiches, Berries, Celery and Granola Bars.

Tuesday: Brown Bag Lunches with Salads, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Celery, Oranges and Healthy Brownies.

Wednesday: Brown Bag Lunches with Roast Beef Wraps, Celery, Berries and Rice Cakes.

Thursday: Brown Bag Lunches with Salads, Ham and Cheese Wraps, Grapefruit and Celery.

Friday: Brown Bag Lunches with Roast Beef Sandwiches, Celery, Oranges and Pretzels.

Saturday: Salads with left over produce.

Sunday: Left Over Pasta.

Dinners

Monday: White Wine Cream Sauce over Whole Wheat Linguini with Asparagus, Mushrooms & Sundried Tomatoes.

Tuesday: Pinto Bean, Pepper Jack & Roasted Corn Tostadas with Fresh Pico De Gallo.

Wednesday: Curry Chicken with Pineapple & Prunes over Brown Rice.

Thursday: Quinoa & Chia Stir Fry with Fresh Garlic, Asparagus, Green Peas, Asiago and Parmesan.

Friday: Dinner Out for Cassandra’s Birthday!

Saturday: Homemade Spicy Amatriciana Pasta Sauce over Whole Wheat Penne.

Sunday: Cheesy Black Bean Taquitos with Cilantro Cream Sauce.

My grocery list for next week: Cilantro, Tomato, Asparagus, Onion, Jalapeno, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper, Linguini, Celery, Berries, Bananas, Romaine, Milk and Eggs.

Yes, you counted right. That is fourteen items for a week’s worth of healthy meals (twenty meals for two people; eating one meal out). I can do this simply by keeping basics stocked and strategically meal planning. I predict my total grocery costs for this week will be approximately $35.00. I buy primarily organic. I also try to buy produce on special.

I am looking forward to preparing all of these delicious meals and posting them. Stay tuned!

The Most Delicious Mac & Cheese Combos…. Ever

Growing up, my grandmother made the most amazing macaroni and cheese. It is a family favorite! Her version of this classic-comfy meal is basic, and to a 6-year-old, absolutely perfect; sharp cheddar with mounds of butter, baked to perfection. Now as an adult, I still love my grandmother’s recipe, but my taste buds have evolved to love many macaroni and cheese combinations. Listed below are a few favorites you may want to try out on your family.

Peas, Bacon and White Cheddar

Kale, Garlic, Sausage and Smoked Mozzarella

Broccoli and Sharp Cheddar

Lemon, Spinach, Garlic, Ricotta and Parmesan

Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Asiago

Onions, Prosciutto and Gouda

Jalapenos, Mushrooms and Pepper Jack

Chicken, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan

Many of these combos are a great way to work in more veggies and protein!