Angel Hair with Spicy Shrimp

This recipe serves 4

Hands-On Time 0h15m

Total Time 0h15m

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound angel hair pasta or spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

• 1Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
• 2Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted.
• 3Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture.

• By Sara Quessenberry, October 2008

Nutritional Information Servings Per Recipe 4

• Amount Per Serving

• Calories 540
• Fat 13g
• Sat Fat 4g
• Cholesterol 187mg
• Carbohydrate 67g
• Calories From Fat 21%
• Calcium
• Sodium 456mg
• Protein 34g
• Fiber 2g
• Sugar 3g

Quick Tip

Dried pasta can stay in a cabinet or on a pantry shelf for a full year, even if the package has been opened.

From RealSimple.com

Lasagna

Weight Watchers Recipe.

Lasagna

Was POINTS® Value: 8
Now POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Who says you can't eat lasagna? We nearly halved the calories by scaling back on the cheese and replacing it with lots of flavorful vegetables and fresh herbs.

Ingredients
14 1/2 oz canned tomatoes, whole peeled
1 tbsp canned tomato paste
2 medium tomato(es), coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
2 medium raw eggplant
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1 medium leek(s), finely chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), crushed
12 medium basil, leaves, torn
1/2 pound(s) dry lasagna noodles, cooked (about 9 noodles)
1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions

* Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

* Blend undrained canned tomatoes with paste until combined. Stir in fresh chopped tomatoes and sugar.

* Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices; place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 minutes, rinse and drain.

* Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and warm over medium heat. Cook eggplant in batches until soft and well-browned; set aside.

* Cook leeks and garlic in the same pan, stirring until leeks soften.

* Cover bottom of prepared pan with 3 cooked noodles. Layer with 1/2 each eggplant, tomato mixture, leeks, basil and cheese. Repeat with 3 more noodles and top with rest of eggplant, tomato mixture, leeks and basil. Top with remaining noodles and cheese.

* Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve.

Chef Tips

* We renovated Lasagna by:
o Relying on vegetables instead of high-fat meat or excessive amounts of cheese to bulk out the dish.

o Using part-skim cheese to cut back on fat.

o Using shredded cheese, which covers a larger surface area with a lesser amount, but imparts lots of flavor.

o Making our own fresh tomato sauce - less POINTS than many of the store-bought varieties.

From Weight Watchers website.

Pasta Alfredo

Weight Watchers Recipe.

Pasta Alfredo

Was POINTS® Value: 23
Now POINTS® Value: 9
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Cream, Parmesan, bacon … no wonder Pasta Alfredo is such a favored dish. But when an average serving is full of fat and calories, it's not a meal you can enjoy too often. By making simple substitutions we've transformed this dish!

Ingredients
5 oz uncooked linguini
1 1/2 oz cooked Canadian-style bacon, chopped
1 small onion(s), red, finely chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), crushed
6 tbsp vegetable broth
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
3/4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions

* Add pasta to large pot of boiling water; cook, uncovered, until tender, drain.

* Return pan to heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is soft. Stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stir in combined cornstarch and water. Simmer, uncovered, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

* Just before serving add pasta and cheese to sauce. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

* Serve pasta topped with bacon, sprinkle with chives and pepper. Serve this dish with a large garden salad on the side.

Chef Tips

* We renovated Pasta Alfredo by:

o Substituting the cream for evaporated skim milk.


o Using bacon as a garnish, not a staple. Opting for a small amount of good quality, Parmesan cheese, rather than a lot of the average kind.


o You can further renovate this dish by bulking the sauce out with vegetables such as tomatoes, snow peas or beans.

From Weight Watchers website.

Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash and Ricotta

Weight Watchers Recipe.

Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash and Ricotta

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This pasta casserole is a hearty yet elegant combination of whole wheat penne, rich butternut squash, toasted walnuts, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled and cubed*
1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, penne
1 1/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
2 tbsp white all-purpose flour
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 tbsp thyme, fresh, chopped, divided
1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended
1/4 cup(s) chopped walnuts, toasted
Instructions

* Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

* Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.

* Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

* In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.

* Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

* Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.

Notes

* *Look for a 20 ounce bag of fresh, already peeled and cubed squash from your supermarket. If you can't find any, cut a medium squash in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Scoop squash out of skin into a large bowl, mash with a spoon and proceed as above.

Alternatively, you can microwave cubed squash, covered, in a shallow microwave-safe baking dish or container with 1/4 cup of water, until cooked through; mash squash in a bowl.

From Weight Watchers website.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

You can assemble the ravioli a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The ravioli will float when they are perfectly cooked. Pour a chilled chardonnay.

Yield 6 servings
Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
* 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 30 round wonton wrappers
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup fat-free milk
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
* 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preparation

Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.

Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.

Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:250 (33% from fat)
Fat:9.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:9.5g
Carbohydrate:33g
Fiber:3.1g
Cholesterol:22mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:636mg
Calcium:162mg

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

The nutty flavor of fontina and creaminess of mascarpone create a delicious updated version of mac and cheese. If your supermarket doesn't stock mascarpone cheese, substitute full-fat cream cheese. For a dinner party, bake the pasta in individual gratin dishes for 15 minutes.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)
Ingredients

* 1 pound uncooked penne
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
* 3 cups fat-free milk
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
* 1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 small garlic clove, minced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook 10 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add cheeses, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in salt and black pepper. Add cooked pasta, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Tear bread into several pieces. Place bread in a food processor; process until fine crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs until well combined. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:423 (30% from fat)
Fat:14.3g (sat 8.2g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:19.3g
Carbohydrate:54.6g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:46mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:550mg
Calcium:298mg

Jackie Mills, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

1 lb (15 oz) ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozarella diced
1 egg
1 pkg shells - 24
Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
sweet basil
white pepper
nutmeg
parsley

Heat oven to 350.
Mix cheese in large bowl - add spices & eggs.
Have shells cooked al dente (9 mins).
Fill shells w. mixture.
Place shells in 9x13 baking dish.
Pour sauce over shells. Sprinkle top w. parmesan cheese & parsley. Bake 30 mins. Can be made day of but does not freeze well. 2-3 shells is filling.