Pasta Pronto

Transform ordinary pasta into an extraordinary healthy primavera feast!

By: Jodie Shield, MED, RDN

If you can boil noodles, you can make this quick, easy, and healthy pasta dish. Skip buying expensive spaghetti sauce. Simply jazz up canned tomatoes with your favorite fresh veggies – asparagus, onions, mushrooms. To trim sodium, use unsalted canned tomato products. Or if you’re really in a hurry, toss in a bag of frozen Italian mixed veggies. Either way, you’re guaranteed a delicious dinner in minutes! If you want to learn how to make your pasta sauce from scratch, try my Tomato Basil recipe. I use it to make Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups and Spaghetti and Meat Balls. All of these recipes are also on my FREE  app Eat Healthy Homemade Meals in Minutes, which you can download from iTunes or Google Play.

Pasta Pronto 

4 Servings

 Prep Time = 10 minutes

Cooking Time = 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package whole-wheat pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 cups assorted vegetables cut in small pieces (such as broccoli florets, sliced carrots, sliced zucchini)
• 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 15.5  ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2.  While pasta cooks, combine oil and garlic in large skillet; cook about 30 seconds over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes.
3.  Add undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and black pepper to vegetable mixture. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add pasta and Parmesan cheese (if using) to vegetable mixture. Toss until pasta is well mixed. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per Serving (2 cups): 300 calories, 13 grams protein, 56 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams fiber, 845 milligrams sodium

Note: This recipe is from my book Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight for Kids and Teens (EatRight Press, 2012).

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