This meal is all about letting the flavors of the roasted vegetable and fresh lemon juice shine. I know I say it all the time but roast, roast, roast your vegetables for maximum flavor!  Using fresh vegetables in a pasta sauce reduces the need for excess oil, cheese, or other flavorings. The trick to this dish is making a fresh, uncooked tomato sauce with just lemon juice, heirloom tomatoes, and salt/pepper. When the hot pasta combines with the sauce it slightly warms it and allows the flavor to coat the noodles. I used whole-wheat penne here but feel free to use whatever pasta or whole grain you like.

So refreshing!

Roasted Cauliflower Penne

Ingredients:

8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 large lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the cut cauliflower with oil and a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss together and  place cauliflower onto a roasting pan; bake for 25-30 minutes. Cauliflower will be cooked and slightly brown at this point.

While the cauliflower is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Combine the cooked pasta with the roasted cauliflower, pan juices, lemon zest, lemon juice,  and chopped tomatoes. You want the hot pasta and cauliflower to lightly cook the tomatoes.  Finely chop the rosemary and add to the pasta along with the red pepper flakes.

Per serving (4): 255 calories, 5g fat, 49g CHO, 9.6g fiber, 11g protein

Serve warm or room temperature!

One of my favorite things about living in Northern California is the abundance of reasonably priced, high quality produce.  We belong to a CSA, Fresh Edibles, which delivers a nice variety of beyond organic produce weekly. It’s the best! I love not knowing what items I am going to get weekly and it challenges me to come up with new and exciting recipes. This pasta is made with the vegetables we got one week back in June. I love the color of this dish, especially the purple carrots- aren’t they beautiful?

Ingredients:

5-6 Carrots, sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes or regular tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, minced
4 zucchini, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
½ cup vegetable broth

1 lb. whole-wheat penne pasta
¼ cup Parmesan cheese or Diaya Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, reserve ¼ cup pasta water after draining the pasta. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a saucepan to medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic to the oil with a pinch of salt and pepper and/or crushed red pepper. Heat until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the paste and stir into the cooked onions and garlic. Add the carrots, broccoli and zucchini. Stir and add ¼ cup broth to the pot. Cook until the vegetables reduce a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, and remaining broth. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have made their own ‘sauce.’ If you need more liquid, add the reserved pasta water.

In a large bowl, toss the vegetable sauce with the penne and any remaining pasta water. Top with Parmesan cheese, if preferred.

Per 1 cup serving: 314 calories, 11g fat (1g saturated fat), 9 grams fiber, 11g protein

I spent most of last week at a conference in New Orleans. I love exploring new cities but I was excited to get back to cooking in my kitchen. Of course the food was amazing but after a week of eating out, I was ready for some greener & cleaner eating. If you’ve ever left home for a few days or more, you understand coming home to an empty kitchen. Tired from traveling, I wanted a quick, nutritious meal without having to go to the store. I seem to always have frozen artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes around. Adding a few other ingredients, this light & easy pasta was born.

Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Linguine

Ingredients: Serves 6-8
1 lb linguine or noodles, whole wheat if you’ve got it!
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed or 1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and chopped
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (Use the dehydrated ones if you can, not packed in oil)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced into 1/2 moons
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper
handful parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. capers

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a separate bowl, add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup hot water. Let sit for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes rehydrate and plump up. Drain and slice into thin strips.

In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of vegetable broth over medium heat. Add the 2 cloves sliced garlic, sliced onion and a small pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions have reduced. If the garlic or onion sticks too much, add a little more broth.

Add the sliced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, wine and remaining broth. Continue to stir, and cook for 10 minutes allowing the sauce reduce and thicken slightly. Add the pasta at this time and cook until al-dente.

Add the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of cooking water to the skillet. Toss the hot pasta with the chopped parsley and serve!

Per serving: 292 calories, 2g fat, 10g fiber, 11g protein

What recipes would you like to see more of?

There is nothing Irish about this pasta but in the spirit of tomorrow it’s GREEN! I originally made the filling to stuff into filo dough but decided to go with weeknight pasta meal instead.

Ingredients:

2 large bunches spinach leaves
1 onion
4 tbsp. fresh dill
3 tbsp. fresh mint
2 lemons, juiced
8 oz. whole wheat pasta (I used fusili)
¼ cup cashew pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
½ cup vegetable broth
½ pound tofu, firm
1 tsp. dried basil

In a food processor/blender combine the cashews, lemon juice, 2 tbsp. oil, and garlic.  Pulse a few times until a paste forms. Add the tofu, 2 tbsp. mint, 2 tbsp. dill and basil to the processor. Blend together and set aside.

In a sauce pan heat ¼ cup broth over medium-high heat. In a food processor or by hand, finely chop the onion and spinach leaves. Add the onion to the broth pan along with 1tsp. salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes until onions are cooked thoroughly and reduced.

While the onions are cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Add the chopped spinach and remaining broth to the onion mixture and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the reserved tofu mixture and remaining mint and dill. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a bit of pasta water to thin it out. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Have a Happy St. Patty’s Day!