Fettuccini with Red Pepper-Feta Sauce and Asparagus

This is probably my favorite pasta sauce I've ever made. It turned out so good! I usually just toss asparagus in olive oil and grill it but I found a recipe to make asparagus a little more interesting. I got the pasta recipe from FoodNetwork and the asparagus recipe from AllRecipes.


Fettucini with Red Pepper-Feta Sauce
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 12 min   Cook Time: 25 min   Total Time: 37 min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
• 1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving

Calories: 430

Fat: 15.97g

Carbohydrates: 53.38g

Protein: 18.67g

My Modifications

I used chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work well and I cut the recipe in half. I think it's really important to use whole wheat pasta for this dish because otherwise you're not getting much protein, unless you serve it with meat of course. Jars of roasted red peppers are expensive and one way to get around buying it is taking a red pepper, putting it under the broiler in your oven for a couple of minutes (checking on it frequently to make sure it doesn't burn) then put the pepper(s) in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sit for awhile until they are cool enough to handle. Letting it sit in the covered bowl steams the peppers and allows you to easily take off the skin. Once you take off the skins, it's the same exact thing as the jarred peppers, only several dollars cheaper.

Asparagus with Parmesan Crust

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 min   Cook Time: 15 min   Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 1 pound thin asparagus spears
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer. Spread Parmesan cheese over asparagus, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and asparagus is tender but crisp. Serve immediately on warm plates, sprinkling with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving

Calories - 93

Fat - 5.6g

Carbohydrates - 7g

Protein - 5.3g

My Modifications

I cut it in half but other than that, didn't change the recipe at all. I love this recipe! You could wrap the asparagus in foil and throw it on the barbecue.