August 16, 2017

Make this heart-smart Three Pepper Pasta in minutes for an easy, weeknight meal.

 

This delicious pasta is easy to make and can be thrown together in no time. It is perfect for a quick, weeknight one-dish meal or for a casual dinner party with friends on the weekend. Better yet, it reheats well for great leftovers the next day.

 

Recipe: Three Pepper Pasta
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Stacey Kendrick
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 box of pasta, something like bowtie or ziti works best
  • 1 each of green, red and yellow peppers
  • 5 leaves fresh basil, chopped
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 1/4 Parmesan, if you can get freshly grated or shaved, it is much better than powdered
Instructions
  1. Boil the water for the pasta in a large stock pot.
  2. While waiting for water to boil, slice the peppers into thin strips and set aside.
  3. Chop approximately 5 leaves of basil finely and set aside.
  4. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
  5. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet. Add the garlic and toss until slightly toasted.
  6. Add the peppers and sauté for about 10 minutes, until they get well-cooked and begin to caramelize. If they get dry you can add a few drops of water.
  7. While the peppers are cooking, add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
  8. Drain the pasta well.
  9. Add the pasta to the skillet with the pepper mixture and toss well.
  10. Add ¼ cup olive oil and the Parmesan and toss again.
  11. Sprinkle with basil and any remaining Parmesan before serving.
  12. Season with a bit of salt and pepper (optional).
Serving size: 1.5 cups Calories: 388 Fat: 18 grams Saturated fat: 3 grams Carbohydrates: 46 grams Sodium: 86 milligrams Fiber: 1 gram Protein: 11 grams Cholesterol: 55 milligrams
Notes
Get creative by adding steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms or any other favorite colorful vegetables to make this pasta dish your own.

 

Stacey Kendrick, MS, is a health educator with more than 20 years of experience in wellness and population health. She spent much of her career at Vanderbilt’s Faculty/Staff Wellness Program and currently works in Strategic Marketing at Vanderbilt. She is mother to two adult daughters. In her free time, she teaches healthy cooking classes, runs, gardens and enjoys backyard bonfires.

 

Dinner