Category Archives: Pasta

Pasta

Shrimp Pasta topped with Spinach, Button Mushrooms and Roma Tomatoes *Low Calories*

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Servings: 2
Ingredients

Shrimp
16 large, raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 half large lemon juice
0.5 tsp minced garlic
0.25 tsp paprika
0.25 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Sautéed Spinach, Mushrooms, and Roma tomatoes
1 C fresh spinach
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 button mushrooms
1 half roma tomato
0.25 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta
1.5 C dry, penne regatta pasta (Dreamfield’s Healthy Carb Living)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp “can’t believe it’s not butter”
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a ziploc bag, combine the shrimp, .5 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, .5 tsp minced garlic, .25 tsp paprika, .25 tsp parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix shrimp thoroughly with ingredients in ziploc bag and sit to the side.
If adding mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes to pasta, quarter button mushrooms and dice tomatoes; put to the side.

In a medium sized pot, bring water for pasta to a boil (you can add extra virgin olive oil and touch of salt to water if desired). Once the water is boiling, add 1.5 C dry, penne regatta pasta and cook pasta until it is al dente (approximately 8 minutes).

In a medium sauté pan, add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and heat on medium high heat. Once the oil has warmed and coated the pan, add the button mushrooms and .25 tsp of garlic powder (and salt and pepper if desired). Let mushrooms cook for about two minutes, then add the shrimp that has been marinating in the seasoning. Continue to cook the mushrooms and shrimp on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes. I cooked the shrimp longer, as Chris likes his shrimp well done. **Determining whether or not shrimp is cooked thoroughly is pretty easy; the shrimp will turn from a grey, translucent color to a pink, opaque color. You will need to stir the shrimp frequently while it is cooking in order for all shrimp to cook evenly.** Once the shrimp is cooked thoroughly, add the diced tomatoes, spinach, and drizzle about .5 tbsp of olive oil on top. Stir the spinach and tomatoes in with the shrimp and mushrooms, cooking for about a minute (spinach cooks extremely fast and I don’t like “mushy” tomatoes, so you can cook it a little longer if you desire).

Once the pasta is al dente, drain water and place pasta in a medium size bowl. Add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp of “can’t believe it’s not butter” and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the pasta so it is completely coated.

Plate pasta for two and top with the cooked shrimp, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes. *I added a touch of shredded parmesan cheese because there is something in my head that says “Pasta cannot be eaten without some type of cheese :-)”.

Calorie Count

Sautéed Shrimp
16 Large, Raw Shrimp= 220 cal
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil= 100 cal
1 tbsp “can’t believe it’s not butter”= 60 cal
1 half large lemon juice= 8 cal
.50 tsp minced garlic= 2.5 cal
.25 tsp paprika= 1.5 cal
.25 tsp parsley= 0 cal

Mushroom, Spinach, Tomato Mix
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 C fresh spinach= 7 cal
4 button mushrooms= 28 cal
.50 roma tomato= 8 cal
.25 tsp garlic= 1 cal
*salt
*pepper

Pasta
1.5 C dry, penne regatta pasta= 380 cal
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil= 100 cal
1 tbsp “can’t believe it’s not butter”= 60 cal
salt
pepper

Total Calories=1,041 Calories

Per Person=520.5

Pasta

Beefy Mac and Cheese

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A few nights ago, Chris’s four year old daughter, Carlee, came over to have dinner with us.  She isn’t very picky when it comes to food (YAY!), but I still wanted to make one of her favorite dishes, macaroni and cheese with a few twists.

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Recipe is Carlee approved!!
Recipe is Carlee approved!!

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Hamburger Meat Cooking Directions: 1 lb hamburger meat 1 tbsp parsley 1 tsp minced garlic generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper In an oven-proof, non-stick pan, brown hamburger meat on medium high heat. I add all ingredients half-way thru the cooking process to ensure the meat has flavor. Once meat is browned, remove from skillet and let grease drain (I put a few paper towels on a plate to do this easily). Wide Egg Noodles Cooking directions: 6 oz wide egg noodles water salt and pepper olive oil 1 tbsp butter 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp parsley approximately 5 oz leftover, noodle stock water Bring about 4-5 cups of water to boil (I never measure water when I am cooking noodles. I normally eyeball it and make sure the noodles will be completely covered). Add about 1 tbsp or so of olive oil and sea salt to water. Once the water is boiling, add the egg noodles and bring water to a rolling boil for about 5-6 minutes or until noodles are al dente. ***I added a cube of beef bullion with the noodles to enhance the flavor of the noodles.*** Strain noodles, but keep about a cup of the stock water. Put the noodles in a small bowl and add the butter, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp parsley, a little bit of stock water, and salt and pepper if desired. Cheese Sauce and Final Cooking directions: 1 pt half and half 1/2 pt heavy cream 2 tbsp sour cream 1 tbsp butter 1/2 c mozzarella 1/2 C sharp cheddar 1/2 c Colby jack cheese 1/4 c parmesan 1 tsp minced garlic **Bread crumbs **Additional cheddar cheese In the same pan we browned the hamburger meat in, we are going to make the cheese sauce for the macaroni. First, add half and half, heavy cream, butter, garlic, and sour cream. Bring to a slow boil. Add noodles and hamburger meat. Mix together well while it is still on a low boil. Add each cheese separately (leaving parmesan for the top) and mix together until all cheeses are mixed in and melted. Top the pasta with parmesan. If you choose to add breadcrumbs and more cheese, which I highly recommend, top the pasta with about 1/4 c of breadcrumbs and 1/4 C sharp cheddar. Place in oven and heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. I cooked mine for about 10 minutes and then, set on broil to brown the top.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Hamburger Meat Cooking Directions:
1 lb hamburger meat
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper
In an oven-proof, non-stick pan, brown hamburger meat on medium high heat. I add all ingredients half-way thru the cooking process to ensure the meat has flavor. Once meat is browned, remove from skillet and let grease drain (I put a few paper towels on a plate to do this easily).
Wide Egg Noodles Cooking directions:
6 oz wide egg noodles
water
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp parsley
approximately 5 oz leftover, noodle stock water
Bring about 4-5 cups of water to boil (I never measure water when I am cooking noodles. I normally eyeball it and make sure the noodles will be completely covered). Add about 1 tbsp or so of olive oil and sea salt to water. Once the water is boiling, add the egg noodles and bring water to a rolling boil for about 5-6 minutes or until noodles are al dente. ***I added a cube of beef bullion with the noodles to enhance the flavor of the noodles.***
Strain noodles, but keep about a cup of the stock water.
Put the noodles in a small bowl and add the butter, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp parsley, a little bit of stock water, and salt and pepper if desired.
Cheese Sauce and Final Cooking directions:
1 pt half and half
1/2 pt heavy cream
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c mozzarella
1/2 C sharp cheddar
1/2 c Colby jack cheese
1/4 c parmesan
1 tsp minced garlic
**Bread crumbs
**Additional cheddar cheese
In the same pan we browned the hamburger meat in, we are going to make the cheese sauce for the macaroni.
First, add half and half, heavy cream, butter, garlic, and sour cream. Bring to a slow boil. Add noodles and hamburger meat. Mix together well while it is still on a low boil. Add each cheese separately (leaving parmesan for the top) and mix together until all cheeses are mixed in and melted.
Top the pasta with parmesan. If you choose to add breadcrumbs and more cheese, which I highly recommend, top the pasta with about 1/4 c of breadcrumbs and 1/4 C sharp cheddar.
Place in oven and heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. I cooked mine for about 10 minutes and then, set on broil to brown the top.

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