Monday, September 19, 2011

Pasta with Tomatoes

Have you tried this pasta?

I decided to try it out recently - you know, the whole eat better and healthier foods, blah, blah, blah - and was surprised by it. It doesn't taste noticeably different from regular pasta, but it contains a whole lot more protein and other nutritional stuff. The biggest surprise, however, was that it doesn't sit as heavy in the ol' tummy after eating. To me, that's a huge plus. I'll be buying this on a regular basis from now on.

Anyway, I used this in a side dish based upon the suggestion on the side of the box. It was pretty good, or so I would conclude, since there were no leftovers.

ANGEL HAIR WITH TOMATOES

1 pound angel hair (I used the "Plus" angel hair)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved
1 good handful of parsley leaves
1 tsp dried basil (or some fresh basil, if you prefer)
6 turns fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Cook the angel hair according to the box directions - 6 minutes for this variety. Pour 1 cup of the cooking water into a measuring cup and reserve; then drain the pasta and cover the colander with the pot lid. Return the pot to the heat, add the olive oil, heat, and stir in the garlic. Cook for a minute or 2, then add the parsley leaves and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes and heat through, then add the basil and pepper. Turn off the burner, return the angel hair to the pot and stir to combine with the tomato mixture. Stir in the parmesan, and add some of the reserved cooking water if needed to moisten it up.
This was a great side dish with our ham, but would also make a fine lunch. Since my guys don't think it's dinner without meat, it wouldn't work as an evening meal in our little corner of the world, but others might have a different opinion!

Hope you all had a nice weekend!

13 comments:

Sue said...

OK, you've got my mouth watering. I guess I'll go upstairs and fix some dinner for the humans.

STELLA and RORY from Down Under said...

Hi Marjie, thanks for the new recipe. Last night I tried your Roasted Roots and it was fab. As you say, no leftovers from our tribe, so we give it the thumbs up. Have a good week. No worries, and love, Carol

The Blonde Duck said...

I don't think it's a dinner without meat either. :)

Two French Bulldogs said...

you never fail to make our tummys growl
Benny & Lily

Pam said...

Love it! That is my kind of pasta dish. I'll have to check out the PLUS pasta.

gMarie said...

I do like that pasta and I love pasta with fresh tomatoes and herbs - it's a fabulous side dish, isn't it? g

Diane said...

I have heard about Angel hair but I have never seen it. We eat a lot of pasta so I am sure this would go down well with us. I must look a little harder :) Diane

monica said...

looks great- with all the different colours from the vegetables, mmmm...

Mickle in NZ said...

Everything on your plate looks delicious - especially the pasta!

SissySees said...

Looks fabulous. Maybe that's what's for dinner tonight... with meat for the man, of course.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I've been a convert to this pasta for awhile.

Mary said...

We like Barilla Plus a lot. It's one of my favorites. I just can't get excited about any of the whole wheat options I have tried, so this one works well for me. There isn't a wheat taste, but there is a lot of extra nutrition.

Linda said...

I can't get the angel hair in the Barilla brand but use another + one instead that I like for the same reasons. I'll have to try your recipe.....we've been eating a lot of "Alfredo" fat lately:(