Sponsored By Siempre Mujer Magazine
This delicious recipe is easy to prepare, and from start to finish it takes only 25 minutes.
Per serving:
357 calories 9 g total fat (2 g sat. fat) 17mg cholesterol 407 mg sodium
55g carbohydrate 7g dietary fiber 6g protein
Ingredients:
8Ounces dried whole wheat or regular penne pasta or ziti 2 1/2 Cups broccoli flowerets 1 1/2 Cups cut fresh asparagus or green beans (1-inch pieces)
2 Large tomatoes
1 Cup light ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup snipped fresh basil
4 Teaspoons snipped fresh thyme
4 Teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli and asparagus or green beans for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, place a fine strainer over a large bowl. Cut tomatoes in half; squeeze seeds and juice into strainer. With the back of a spoon, press seeds against strainer to extract juice; discard seeds. Chop tomatoes. Add ricotta cheese, basil, snipped thyme, balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to tomato juice; mix well. Stir tomatoes into ricotta mixture.
3. Add hot pasta-vegetable mixture to ricotta mixture. Toss to coat all ingredients. Divide mixture among 4 dinner plates; sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese. If desired, garnish with basil sprigs. Makes 4 servings