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Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Mushrooms

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:30 -0800

Although some people may think all pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and cheese, this recipe proves them wrong. It's chock full of mushrooms and kale, and combines whole wheat pasta with a rich sauce made from hazelnuts. Most grocery stores carry whole wheat pasta these days; you can find it in the regular pasta aisle. There's no meat, but the mushrooms and nutty gravy give this dish a complex heartiness. To check out this vegetarian-friendly, cheese-free pasta recipe, read more.

Penne With Mushrooms
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
A handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped peeled hazelnuts
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, soften the dried mushrooms in the broth over low heat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the portobellos, shallots and garlic and cook until tender, 6 minutes. Add the kale, cover the skillet and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and toss.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcinis to a cutting board and chop, then add to the kale mixture.
Pour the porcini broth into a bowl or cup, discarding any grit at the bottom of the pan; set aside.
Wipe out the pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the reserved porcini broth and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the kale mixture and gravy; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Linguine With Arugula and Edamame

partysugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:47 -0700

If you're a busy home cook, be sure to keep your pantry stocked with a good whole-wheat pasta. It's the ideal ingredient for rapid, but varied cuisine. You can mix it with everything from bacon and tomato sauce to veggies and cheese.

In this dish, whole-wheat linguine is tossed with peppery arugula and fresh edamame. It's a quick vegetarian meal that's healthy and delicious. To get the adaptable recipe, read more.

Linguine With Arugula and Edamame
From The Nest

Ingredients

2 cups shelled edamame
8 ounces whole wheat linguine or farro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups coarsely chopped arugula
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Cook the edamame in boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add the pasta to the same water, and cook according to package directions. Drain it in a colander, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, and set it aside.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook 15 seconds. Mix in the arugula, coating it with the oil, and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.
Mix in the edamame and remove the pan from the heat.
Add the drained pasta, stirring until it is warmed through, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta and vegetables among 4 shallow pasta bowls or dinner plates, and top with equal amounts of the cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Pesto and Ricotta

partysugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:50:38 -0700

A classic pesto sauce consists of fresh basil and pine nuts, but when basil is not in season, the thick fragrant sauce can easily be made with other herbs and greens. In this recipe the pesto is a blended mixture of spinach, arugula, parsley, and walnuts.

It's tossed with whole wheat pasta to create a dish that is healthful and filling. A heaping dollop of ricotta cheese laced with honey adds a touch of creamy sweetness to the pasta. For the recipe to this creative vegetarian dinner, read more.

Penne With Pesto and Ricotta
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate pasta
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1 cup packed spinach or baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup packed arugula leaves
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
Pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
In a small skillet, toast the nuts over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes; let cool.
Using a food processor, puree the nuts, spinach, arugula, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper. With the machine on, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream and mix until a thick paste forms.
Transfer the pesto to a large pasta bowl; stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and reserved pasta cooking water.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and honey, season with pepper and set aside.
Add the pasta to the pesto, toss and let stand for 1 minute. Serve with dollops of the honey ricotta.

Serves 4.

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Taste Test: Pizza Hut's The Natural Pizza

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:29:32 -0800

Oxymoronic as it may sound, fast food chains have begun marketing their latest products as nutritious, wholesome meals. One of the best examples of this movement is Pizza Hut's new health-oriented pie, the Natural.

The Natural pizza ($9.99 for a medium with one topping) has sauce "made from vine-ripened tomatoes," all-natural toppings, and a multigrain crust that has been endorsed by the Whole Grains Council. Find out what I thought of its taste - and how healthy it really is - when you read more.

The Natural comes in three flavors: Cheese, Natural Pepperoni, and The Rustica, a blend of all-natural sausage, fire-roasted red peppers, and marinated Roma tomatoes. I sampled the first two flavors. The crust was similar to a typical Pizza Hut pizza: It was not too thick nor incredibly thin. In fact, everything about the pie was typical of Pizza Hut, except for one major difference. The crust had the distinct grainy, rough quality of whole wheat flour. It was, as one Sugar gal put it, "like eating pizza on a whole wheat pita".

The texture meant the pizza had more personality, but are the pizzas actually better for you, or is the whole "natural" aspect simply a clever positioning tactic? I did some research, and if you opt for the Natural instead of a typical Pizza Hut pizza, you might shave a fat gram, consume 20 calories less, and gain some fiber. So I suppose if you appreciate the texture of whole wheat, the Natural is an attractive alternative to the, well, not-so-natural.

The bigger question is, if you were health conscious, would you really be eating Pizza Hut in the first place? Have you tried this pizza yet? What did you think of it?

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Linguine and Tuna with Spicy Orange Sauce

partysugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:29:31 -0800

Although you may not think of canned tuna as a ingredient to use in pasta, I highly recommend you give it a try. Flavorful chunks of meaty packed-in-olive-oil tuna work best for this healthy, midweek meal. The greens and whole wheat pasta are lightly coated with a fragrant sauce before being topped with tuna. Fresh orange juice, spicy red pepper flakes, and delicious dijon mustard pack the sauce with punch. To get this rewarding recipe, read more.

Linguine and Tuna with Spicy Orange Sauce
From Martha Stewart

Coarse salt
8 ounces whole-wheat linguine
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 to 3 oranges)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
1 large bunch watercress (about 3 cups) or arugula, tough ends trimmed, washed and well-dried
2 cans tuna (6 ounces each), packed in oil and drained

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt. Add greens and pasta, toss to combine.
Scatter tuna over the top and sprinkle with red-pepper flakes if desired; serve.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 241 calories; 35 g protein; 19 g fat; 50 g carbs; 5 g fiber.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Bacon

partysugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:01:55 -0800

In an attempt to help my dad lower his cholesterol, I've been looking for recipes that feature whole grains. When I came across this recipe for whole wheat pasta tossed with a fragrant bacon and tomato sauce, I had to share it with both my dad and you! This hearty yet health-friendly pasta is scrumptious on a cold night, and is great when paired with a crunchy salad and crisp drink. It's simple to make the sauce and you will have dinner on the table in no time. Get the recipe when you read more

Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Bacon
From Rachael Ray

Salt
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, such as San Marzano
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, to pass around the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladle of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon and cook until the bacon renders fat and crisps at the edges.
Add the bay leaves and onion and season with a little salt and a healthy dose of pepper.
Cook until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broth and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer to let the flavors combine.
Add the reserved pasta cooking water, the pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss.
Transfer the rigatoni to a serving platter, discard the bay leaves and pass grated cheese around the table.

Serves 4.

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Krispy Kreme Introduces a Whole Wheat Doughnut

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:28:17 -0800

Yesterday, Krispy Kreme introduced a whole new way to make us eat healthier (huh???). Their original glazed donuts are now available in a whole wheat variety with a caramel flavoring. The new doughnut is (according to Krispy Kreme), an alternative for health-conscious consumers.

"The Krispy Kreme whole wheat glazed doughnut delivers the delicious taste that our customers have come to expect from us," said Stan Parker, the company's senior vice president of marketing.

Okay, now even though the new doughnut is made of whole wheat and comes in at 20 calories less than the original glazed, I just can't really get behind the whole concept. I mean, health-conscious and Krispy Kreme don't really seem to go hand in hand, now do they?

Source: Washington Post

Do You Normally Cook With Regular or Whole Wheat Pasta?

partysugar — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:30:03 -0700

Source

Sunday Dinner: Whole-Wheat Flatbreads With Lamb & Yogurt

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:30:25 -0800

Ever since I made pasta with lamb and tomato ragu, I haven't been able to stop singing the praises of ground lamb. If you love ordering lamb at restaurants but have never made it at home, ground lamb is the perfect starting point, since it requires no special handling.

Prepare the quick, from-scratch recipe for wheat pitas below or, in a pinch, use store bought pitas or tortillas. The textural contrast of the grainy bread with Greek yogurt and ground meat is incredibly satisfying. For the fun, hands-on recipe, read on.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Tuna Pomodoro

partysugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:50:15 -0700

Before I lived in Spain, I never thought of putting canned tuna in pasta. However, the Spanish think everything tastes better with olive-oil packed tuna (including guacamole!), so I learned to love this savory pasta combination.

I suggest you give it a try with this simple recipe. The tuna is tossed with a quick garlic tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta. It's a healthy and affordable meal that comes together in mere minutes, so check out the recipe and read more.

Tuna Pomodoro
From Eating Well

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 anchovies, minced (optional)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce can chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add anchovies (if using) and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds more.
Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Stir in tuna and cook until it is incorporated into the sauce and heated through, 2 minutes more.
Divide the spaghetti evenly among 4 plates, top with sauce and garnish with basil. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

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