Now for something lighter

Penne with Zucchini and Feta
Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2003 Copyright 2002

8 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta) I used Dreamfields
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oregano, zucchini, and crushed garlic; saute 3 minutes. Stir in broth, rind, juice, and pepper. Add pasta and cheese; toss well. Serve immediately.

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Calories (based on regular pasta) : 260 (30% from fat)Fat:8.7g (sat 3.3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.4g) Protein:10g Carbohydrate:37.3g Fiber:3.6g Cholesterol:17mg Iron:2.1mg Sodium:398mg Calcium:118mg
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Cooking Light might just be my favorite source of 'lighter' recipes. The recipes aren't all fat-free or carb-free or sugar-free but there's always a great variety of lightened-up recipes.

This is a nice clean recipe that I made for my lunch this week. I used Dreamfield pasta for extra fiber - whole wheat pasta would work nicely too. Since I'm coming off a tangent of cooking that was heavy on fat, the lack of fat was probably more noticeable to me than it would be to someone who routinely watches their fat intake. This was delicious but a glug of EVOO or a pat of butter would have rounded out the flavors a bit.

I have some frozen, pre-cooked chicken that I might add to this to boost the protein and make it a full lunch.

Now that wasn't too painful, was it?

Question of the Day: Do you like feta cheese?