Tag: Skinny

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

Something magical happens to pasta when you combine it with a creamy butternut squash puree, a little Parmigiano Reggiano, leeks, garlic and sage.

I found this out by accident.

This started from a mistake, a butternut squash puree that was far too thin and liquidy.  A very HAPPY mistake!

Sauteed leeks and a good quality cheese make this simple savory pasta dish a HUGE success, even if you’re not a fan of butternut squash. You’ll swear this is full of cream and butter… but it’s not. This is perfect for Meatless Mondays, or any night of the week.

It’s super easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is very filling. To speed this up, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash. I was craving a thick spaghetti, but any pasta shape would work. Whole wheat of gluten-free pasta would also be great! My family isn’t a fan of whole wheat, so I use Ronzoni Smart Taste or Dreamfield’s low carb pasta.

And by the way… if you want a chance to win a Blendtec Blender, head on over to Skinny Bits[1]! One lucky winner will have a chance to win this amazing blender (ends October 28th).

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of recipe • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7
Calories: 266 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carb: 56 g • Fiber: 9 g • Protein: 9.5 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 97 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp light butter
  • 8 oz spaghetti of your choice (use brow rice pasta for gluten-free)
  • 1 (1 cup) large leek (white part only)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese
  • 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter, sauté the leeks and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side.

References

  1. ^ Skinny Bits (www.skinny-bits.com)

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Three Cheese Tortellini and Mushroom Soup

This is one delicious bowl of soup! Warm and satisfying, with tortellini in every bite. Top this with some fresh shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and you’ll experience a wonderful unami[1] taste sensation.

Soup is the perfect one pot meal. Vegetarians can swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth (also perfect for Meatless Mondays). Using the rind from the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is optional, but if you have it I recommend using it, it adds so much depth and flavor.

And a little nutritional tidbit about mushrooms, courtesy of registered dietician, Heather K Jones.[2] This veggie has achieved superfood status and with good
reason. It’s loaded with important vitamins and minerals, including
heart-protecting copper, B vitamins and antioxidants. These fabulous
fungus come in a lot of different varieties and are very versatile. 

Heather has generously offered to provide nutritional tidbits on lots of the fruits and vegetables I use in my future recipes. Call me a geek,
but I love knowing what I’m eating is not only delicious, but is
benefiting my health as well.

I’m sure most of you know I am currently working on my first cookbook, but I’m not sure if you all know that Heather K Jones[3] is working with me on this book. Heather is a great asset to Skinnytaste and has written and contributed to many books for Self, Prevention, Good Housekeeping, and more. She is my go-to person when I have a nutritional question and has posted some great articles on Skinny Bits including The Skinny On Sweeteners[4]. 

For those of you who don’t like mushrooms, you can certainly swap them for a vegetable you like, or try this Spinach Tortellini en Brodo recipe[5]. Enjoy!




Three Cheese Mushroom and Tortellini Soup
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 138 • Fat: 4 g • Carbs: 19.5 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Protein: 7 g • Sugar: 2.5 g
Sodium: 605 mg (without added salt)

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp butter
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 8 cups fat free chicken broth (vegetable broth for vegetarians)
  • 2 cups water
  • 5 oz shitaki mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small Parmigiano Reggiano rind (optional)
  • 9 oz three cheese tortellini (Buitoni)
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (optional for topping)

Directions:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add the chicken broth, water, mushrooms, rind and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, add salt (to taste) and black pepper; stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions for al dente.

Once cooked, remove the rind, stir to combine and garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

Makes 12 cups.

References

  1. ^ unami (en.wikipedia.org)
  2. ^ Heather K Jones. (www.heatherkjones.com)
  3. ^ Heather K Jones (www.heatherkjones.com)
  4. ^ The Skinny On Sweeteners (www.skinny-bits.com)
  5. ^ Spinach Tortellini en Brodo recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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