Pasta Sauce Made With Water

yup, from water...ok, there are other things. Using pasta water allows you to cut the amount of fat you would otherwise use in an olive oil or butter tossed pasta dish which will save you a lot of calories! You may want to add more spices, the amounts listed below are "starter" amounts. Be creative with the other ingredients. If you are not vegetarian or have room for the calories, a bit of meaty bacon or prosciutto is fantastic in this sauce.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

1/2 onion diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 T pure olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t Rosemary
1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups water taken from the boiling pot of pasta after about 4-5 minutes of boiling.

Directions:

shrooms starting to caramelize!

Heat a tablespoon or so of fat in a pan (butter or pure olive oil works well), saute onions until they start to brown, then  add slices of mushrooms and saute until they start to brown and caramelize. Stir in chopped garlic and saute another couple of minutes. Add a teaspoon or so of Rosemary and some fresh cracked pepper. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the reserved pasta water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer until the liquid reduces a bit and the flavors blend. Toss with pasta and if you have room for the calories, some fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If the mixture seems dry, add some of the remaining pasta water.

Lighter Pesto

Did you know you can search recipes at Calorie Count? That's where I found this fantastic light pesto with a lot less oil and a whole lot of flavor!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Lighter Pesto

Ingredient:

Serves 4

3 cups  basil leaves

3 tbsp.  grated Parmesan cheese

2  garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp.  lemon juice

3 tbsp.  extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a food processor, combine basil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and 3 tbsp. water; season with salt and pepper. Puree until a paste forms.

Stream in oil while motor is running. Process until smooth - about 1 minute.

Suggestions for variations include:

more garlic (is there such a thing as too much garlic?), substitute lime juice for the lemon juice, add a dash of cayenne, or a few toasted hazelnuts!

Freeze in Pam sprayed ice cube trays, then pop out and put in a freezer bag. Then all you have to do is pull out as many lumps as you like!

Janice's Broccoli and Carrot Alfredo

This light version of Alfredo is great on anything, but I particularly love it on pasta or baked potato!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

whenever possible, use organic vegetables

Broccoli and Carrot Alfredo

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets
2 Cups carrots, slice thinly
2 T butter
1/2 Cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 T flour
2 tsp low sodium instant bouillon
pinch pepper
2 Cups fat free milk
6-8 oz 0% fat Plain Greek Yogurt (calories based on 8 oz)
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Steam, microwave, or boil broccoli and carrots until crisp tender (about 6 minutes), drain and set aside to keep warm.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion. Saute til soft (several minutes). Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.

Stir in flour, bouillon, salt and pepper til there are no lumps. then gradually stir in milk.

Cook on medium until the mix boils and thickens - stir constantly.

Stir in the cooked broccoli and carrots, yogurt and Parmesan

Toss with pasta or serve over baked potato.

Notes:

Get creative with vegetables and add whatever is seasonal to the sauce. Pearl onions rock. Peas too.  Mushrooms are superb.

Jam it full of veggies and treat it as a saucy veggie side dish!

Janice's Gnocchi in Cacciatori Sauce

these filling delicious puffy little bundles of potato and flour are wonderfully versatile and an excellent candidate for one of my favorite "comfort foods" so it's a good thing each serving is so low in calorie. Look for white or wheat gnocchi in boxes or tightly sealed plastic containers in the dried pasta section of your store.

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

gnocchi

Gnocchi in Cacciatori Sauce

Serves 4 for dinner or 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 T pure olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
30 oz tomatoes, if canned, drain into a bowl and crush them with your fingers
1/4 C parsley, fresh, torn or chopped
1/4 C basil, fresh, torn
1/8 cup red wine, only use a good drinkable wine, the type doesn't matter. Do not ever use cooking wine or I will disown you all.
4 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 T pure olive oil
16 oz gnocchi, white or wheat
Directions:

Heat 1 T pure olive oil in a medium pan. When it is hot and shimmering and add the onions, saute til soft. Add all the ingredients except the gnocchi and 1 T olive oil.

Heat to a simmer, partially cover, and stir every now and then. Taste after 10 minutes or so and adjust seasonings. You will notice that I do not add salt. I'm used to that. But you may not be, so add salt if you need to. Also, depending on the tomatoes you use, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar to counter the acidity. Once you have the flavors as you prefer, just keep it going on low heat until the gnocchi are done.

To make the gnocchi, heat 1 T pure olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the gnocchi and toss or stir every now and then allowing the little puffy pillows of deliciousness to soften and turn a beautiful brown. Should take about 10 minutes or so depending on your stove. Let them sit every now and then for a minute or two as this encourages browning. Constant stirring prevents browning.

Either serve in separate bowls for people to fix on their plates, or arrange the gnocchi on a serving platter and top with sauce. Fresh grated parmigiana is perfect on this.

Notes:

To turn this into a casserole dish, combine the sauce and gnocchi, place in a pam sprayed casserole, top with a bit of parmigiana and heat in the oven til the cheese browns.

Janice's Pan Sauteed Ravioli

This makes a fun side dish at a meal or a much talked about treat at a party. According to my son, they are  "Awesome! Like a warm stuffed chip!"

The nutrition facts are set for a decent sized party serving (assuming you are also filling up on all the wonderful fruits and veggies at the party this is more than enough to satisfy) and are at Calorie Count!

Pan Sauteed Ravioli

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 oz fresh Four Cheese Ravioli (your favorite brand - you can use the big size or the small raviolis and stretch out your serving size!)
2 t olive oil (the calorie count is set at 1 t because only that much was absorbed)
1 cup your favorite thick marinara

Directions:

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil shimmers or the pan feels hot when you hold you hand over it, add the ravioli in a single layer. Do two batches rather than crowd. Each ravioli must remain flat. Saute a few minutes checking for browning. When one side is brown, flip each over and brown the other.

Remove to a plate with a paper towel and pat down to remove as much oil as was not absorbed.

Arrange on a pretty plate with a bowl of warmed marinara. Treat the ravioli as you would chips and dip!

Or serve as the pasta part of your meal and top with marinara. Fast, easy, and delicious!

Tomato, Wine, and Feta Sauce

Use this traditional Greek recipe for shrimp, chicken, fish, and your favorite pasta! The original recipe can be found here on a beautiful blog by Joan Spaven called Dinner on the Web. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Tomato, Wine, and Feta Sauce

Serves six

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp  parsley (or 2 T fresh)
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup crumbled feta
(calories based on 1/2 cup feta)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil and butter, add onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Add the tomatoes, wine and herbs and simmer until thick

Add feta and warm on low a minute or two.

Notes:

Simple and fast. Serve over anything you want!

Wonderful on pasta, veggies, rice, chicken, etc...