Penne and Asparagus with Ricotta Cheese

Name: Penne and Asparagus with Ricotta Cheese
Yield: makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 (14 1/2-ounce) box of fiber-enriched penne pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate); 1 pound trimmed asparagus, cut into 2-inch diagonal pieces; 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic; 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (I used Precious, which is the same as Sorrento in various parts of the country); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic canister or jar, not in the refrigerated section); Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, optional

December 9, 2011

If you prefer, you can always substitute a brown rice, whole-wheat, or whole-grain pasta for the fiber-enriched variety. I get a lot of letters and e-mails from home cooks around the country saying they are able to make my recipes for the whole family even though their spouses and children won’t generally eat healthy food, because my recipes actually taste fattening. To keep with that tradition, I opt for the fiber-enriched pasta since it adds needed fiber to our diets while still tasting more like traditional pasta.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 (14 1/2-ounce) box of fiber-enriched penne pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)

1 pound trimmed asparagus, cut into 2-inch diagonal pieces

2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (I used Precious, which is the same as Sorrento in various parts of the country)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic canister or jar, not in the refrigerated section)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, optional

Preparation

Step 1
Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting any oil or butter.
Step 2
Two to four minutes before the pasta is done, add the asparagus to the water (2 minutes for thin spears, 4 minutes for thick). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water in a small bowl. Drain the pasta.
Step 3
Meanwhile, add the garlic, ricotta, and olive oil to a large serving bowl. As soon as the pasta is drained, mix in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Immediately add the pasta and asparagus and gently toss until the pasta and asparagus are coated with the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss again. If the mixture seems too dry, add more reserved pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until no longer dry. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.
nutrition information
Step 4
Each (about 2-cup) serving has:
Step 5
Calories: 318
Step 6
Protein: 15g
Step 7
Carbohydrates: 60g
Step 8
Fat: 7g
Step 9
Saturated Fat: 2g
Step 10
Cholesterol: 18mg
Step 11
Fiber: 9g
Step 12
Sodium: 183mg

Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.

TagsPasta Penne Asparagus Vegetable Ricotta Cheese Dairy Main Starter Dinner Nut Free Vegetarian Quick Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

nutrition information

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

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Step 12

Recipe notes