There are many things that I am working on attaining. A long list of things; be it in the kitchen or in life, things I want or am striving to learn or do better. But there is one thing that I feel I excel in, not that I don’t continue to expand and evolve and learn anew anytime that I am able. This one thing is pasta.
Breakfast, lunch or dinner, in the early rays of a sun lit afternoon or the wee hours of the night at three am; I can whip up a plate of mouth-watering pasta. As long as I have a box of noodles the possibilities are endless. It has nothing to do with what I have in the cupboard or the fridge. In fact, I take it as challenge the barer the kitchen is! My secret is not only in the simplicity of the dish, but also the quality of the ingredients. I mean come on, let’s be honest, if you are making a dish with three ingredients, you can’t skimp on the quality of what you use!
As the second in my series, Fave Foods Made Healthy I give you, Pasta with Cream Sauce with a variation to boost your fiber and vitamin A as well as satisfying your autumnal taste buds. With either Pasta Alfredo or Butternut Squash Ravioli you are going to be taking in a large amount of calories (upwards of 500 and 700 respectively). Both of these dishes though are some people’s absolute favorite things on the planet, so let me show you how to not only cut more than half of the calories, but make them quickly and just as delicious as the full calorie dish.
Now I love pasta (as you might have gathered) and I am about to give you my honest Sicilian pasta loving opinion. Ready? I love quinoa pasta. No really!! You can’t make a good cold pasta salad with it and you have to be careful not to over-cook as it becomes mushy. But, if you serve it hot out of the water and watch the cooking closely, you will be rewarded with pasta that tastes so close to semolina pasta that your guests, and possibly even yourself, won’t know the difference. Did I mention this pasta will add fiber and protein to boot! It’s a match made in pasta heaven. So let’s get to it!
You will need:
- One box of quinoa pasta
- ½ cup of half and half
- 3 gloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ reserved pasta water after the pasta is done cooking
- ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan
- Butternut squash (optional)
- Sage (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to the directions for al dente in lots of salted water
2. As the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan
3. Add garlic right before you drain your pasta, letting it cook for two minutes or until fragrant but not browned
4. Reserve a ½ cup of pasta water; drain the rest of the pasta
5. Add pasta to butter garlic mixture in saucepan on medium high heat
6. Stir in half and half and cook down for one to three minutes until thickened
7. Add extra pasta water if sauce becomes too thick
8. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and sage; toss and serve
For butternut squash variation:
1. Before bringing your water to a boil, preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Seed, peel and cube your butternut squash place on rimmed baking dish
3. Toss butternut squash cubes lightly with olive oil
4. Put your water on to boil and butternut squash in the oven
5. Roast until your pasta and sauce is done approximately 30 minutes stirring once
6. Add butternut squash and sage to pasta when you add the Parmesan toss and serve
Marcella Rose began cooking early, learning from her self-taught mom who prepared brilliant meals nightly. At thirteen, cooking on a Ranch, she learned how to get creative in the kitchen. With an eye for the beautiful, a growing palate, and keen organizing skills she soon began hosting parties and catering events. Moving to New York she was graced to have worked with some of the best interior designers in the city. Taking these skills to the Internet with Marcella Rose’s she shares her passion and innovation hoping to inspire the modern woman.
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