Don't let the title of today's recipe fool you into thinking it's loaded with fat and calories.  Even though it contains a light cream sauce, this pasta dish is approximately 400 calories and 16 grams of fat per serving, which is not bad for a cream based pasta. 

Fortunately, it tastes just as good as when you treat yourself to a creamy (and fatty) restaurant pasta.  However, in this case you don't have to take home a doggy bag filled with guilt.


Creamy Garlic and Tomato Pasta
Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

What you'll need
2 cups pasta of your choice, uncooked
7 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chicken stock 
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a medium skillet, melt better and sauté garlic over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. 
3. Add diced tomatoes, cream and chicken stock.  Mix well.  Let simmer for an additional 2 minutes. 

4. Stir in cooked noodles. 

5. Add frozen peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes. 
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

7. If desired, top with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

The Main Dish
Do you want homemade pasta in under 10 minutes?  Well, your wish is my command.  Today's featured recipe for 2 is ready in 8 minutes!  And what's even better, this recipe requires minimal ingredients, and yet it has a big impact on your taste-buds. 

The Side Dish
I'll be serving the Spicy Tomato Basil Capellini with a Caesar Salad, but I've put a unique spin on this classic side dish by grilling the romaine hearts.  Grilling romaine lettuce gives the salad new and exciting flavors that you'll be sure to enjoy.  

Spicy Tomato Basil Pasta
Total Time: 8 minutes
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes

What you'll need
4 ounces angel hair pasta (about 1/4 of the box)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons basil pesto 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chicken stock

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta cooks, combine tomato, basil pesto, red pepper flakes and salt in a medium skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, or until tomato softens. 

3. Add pasta and chicken stock. Toss gently.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves (optional).  

Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes

What you'll need
2 romaine hearts
3 scallions, chopped 
1 hard boiled egg, diced
2 tablespoons light Caesar dressing
1 garlic clove, pressed with a garlic press
cooking spray

Directions
1. Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. 
2. Cut 2 romaine hearts in half lengthwise, coat with cooking spray.

3. Place romaine hearts, cut side down, on the grill rack.  
* Tip -- before placing the romaine hearts on the grill I would grease the grill grate as well.  Also, I'd remove any of the thin lettuce leaves as these will easily fall through the grill rack. 

4. Grill for 5 minutes or until romaine is tender and browned.  

5. While the lettuce is grilling, mix together Caesar dressing and garlic. 
6. Drizzle lettuce with dressing, and sprinkle with scallions and diced egg.  Serve and enjoy!

Today's featured recipe for 2 allows you to create a good tasting meal that is loaded with nutritious vegetables.  I hope you and your plus 1 like it as much as we do.
  
Garlic and Soy Vegetable Noodle Stir-Fry
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

What you'll need
1/2 bell pepper (any color), diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 cup mushrooms (about 2-3 mushrooms), sliced
1 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/4 cup chicken stock 
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil 
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
4 garlic cloves, chopped
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup chow mein noodles (optional)

Directions
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.  
2. In a Wok or large skillet, heat sesame oil, chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and garlic over medium heat. 
3. Add vegetables to the Wok.  Mix well until vegetables are well coated.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and heated through. 

4. Add noodles.  Let heat for an additional 2 minutes.  

5. If desired, season with red pepper flakes.  Also, to add some crunch to your dish you can top with chow mein noodles. 

The side dish
I'll be serving tonight's stir-fry with a Pea-Pod, Tomato and Cucumber Salad.  I've written about this recipe already, but it's so good that I had to share it again.  Plus, it's the perfect recipe to utilize some of this week's leftover vegetables.

Pea-Pod, Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes

What you'll need
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 tomato, diced (or 1/4 pint grape or cherry tomatoes)

For the dressing
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cover the bottom of a small skillet with water.  Add pea-pods; cover pot with lid.  

2. Steam pea-pods over low heat for about 5 minutes or until pea-pods are tender; drain.
3. Put pea-pods in a bowl of ice water for 1 minute.  Remove and let dry. 

4. In a mixing bowl, combine pea-pods, cucumber and tomato. Gently toss.
5. In a separate bowl, combine vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well. 
6. Drizzle dressing over vegetables.  Toss well.  Serve and enjoy!

On the chance that you have a case of the Mondays, and you don't feel like doing much of anything, I thought I'd offer another quick and easy recipe to help ease the burden of cooking tonight.  This dish has become my go-to dinner when I want something filling and comforting, with little effort. 

The Main Dish
Tonight I'll be making Vegetable Rotini.  It's a light pasta dish, but it's still full of flavor, and as the name implies, it's packed with fresh vegetables.

The Side Dish
With simplicity in mind, I'll be serving the pasta with my real simple side salad.  

Let's start cooking!
I start tonight's meal by boiling a pot of water and prepping the vegetables for the pasta and side salad.  All you'll need to do is a bit of slicing and dicing -- halve the tomatoes, chop the garlic, slice the cucumber and slice some red onion.  Once the water is boiling and the vegetables are chopped you can get started on your main dish.

Vegetable Rotini
Total Time: 20 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

What you'll need
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chicken broth  
1 cup spinach 
2 cups vegetable(s) of choice -- broccoli, pea pods, zucchini, mushrooms
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese 

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and 2 cups of vegetables.  Saute for 3 minutes. 
3. Stir in spinach.  Sautee for an additional minute.
4. Add chicken broth and cooked pasta. Mix occasionally until pasta is heated through (about 5 minutes).
5. Add in tomatoes; simmer on low for 1 minute.
5. Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on grated parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

While the pasta is heating, I put together the side salad.

What you'll need
lettuce (I use baby spinach since I also used baby spinach in the vegetable rotini)
1/2 cucumber, sliced
4-6 cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, finely sliced

Dressing
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed with a garlic press
salt and pepper 

Directions
1. Mix all of the vegetables together in a medium mixing bowl.  
2. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients together; stir until oils are well blended.
3. Add dressing to salad as desired.

Once the pasta is cooked and the salad is mixed, dinner is served!

The skinny on the vegetable rotini
Not only is this pasta dish a quick and easy solution to dinner, but it is also lower in fat and calories than most pastas.  Below is an approximate breakdown, per serving, of calories and fat for my vegetable rotini:

• 3/4 cup rotini pasta: 210 calories and 1 gram of fat
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil: 119 calories and 13 grams of fat
• 1/2 cup chicken broth: 7 calories and 0 grams of fat 
* Tip -- regular chicken broth is packed with sodium, so I usually get lower sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese: 22 calories and 1.5 grams of fat 
• Vegetables: 50 calories and .5 grams of fat 

Total calories: 409
Total fat: 16 g

In the O'Dempsey household it's definitely a pizza and a movie kind of Friday night.  However, instead of reaching for the pizza delivery number, I'm keeping things homemade with this easy french bread pizza recipe.  Not only can you make it as fast as you can say pizza, pizza, but it's a great way to use some of the leftover vegetables that you may have in your refrigerator. 



Vegetable French Bread Pizza
Total Time: 20 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

What you'll need
3/4 french bread loaf, halved
3-4 tablespoons pizza sauce
2-4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, diced
1/2 bell pepper (any color), diced
1/2 cup baby spinach, washed and stems removed
1/4 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce over each french bread loaf.
3. Add diced tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and spinach. 

4. Top with fresh mozzarella cheese and garlic.  
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer french bread to a baking pan covered in aluminum foil. 

7. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese if melted. 
8. Season with red pepper flakes, if desired.
9. Garnish with parsley, if desired. 

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have a great weekend! 

Growing up with a father who loves to cook Italian food made me a total sucker for pasta.  Then, I lived in Austin for 4 years and became an even bigger sucker for tex-mex.  So when I found a dish that combines my two great food loves, you would think, 'what more could a girl want?'  How about a quick and easy way to put it all together, and while we're wishing for things, make it low in fat as well?  Done.

The Main Dish
Tonight I'll be making "quick and easy southwestern pasta."  It's a delicious combination of noodles and vegetables smothered in a salsa based sauce.   What I love even more than the taste, is it requires little preparation and cooking time.  So it is a great meal to throw together after a long day. 

The Side Dish
I'll be serving my pasta with a side  of "Mexican cheesy bread."  It's a fun twist on traditional garlic bread. 

Let's start cooking! 
I start tonight's dinner by prepping the "Mexican cheesy bread" and cooking the noodles for the pasta. 

Mexican Cheesy Bread
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

What you'll need
1/4 loaf french bread, halved
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican flavored cheese
1/2 tomato, diced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Add taco seasoning to melted butter. Mix well. 
3. Place bread on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.  Spread seasoned butter over each side of the bread loaf.

4. Top with diced tomato.  Sprinkle on cheese. 
* Tip -- if you want to spice things up you can also top with a jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced.

6. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
* Tip -- if you put the bread in the oven as soon as you start making the sauce for the pasta everything should be ready at the same time. 

Southwestern Pasta
Total Time: 20 minutes 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes 

What you'll need
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
1/2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup 
1/2 can yellow corn or Mexicorn, drained
1/8 cup milk 
1/2 cup salsa 
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a medium skillet add cream of chicken soup, salsa and milk.  Mix well over low heat.
3. Add in zucchini, bell pepper and corn.  Stir occasionally until mixture begins to bubble (about 5 minutes).

4. Stir in noodles.  Mix well over low heat until pasta is heated through (about 5 minutes). 
5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

6. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese before serving, if desired. 

Once the Mexican cheesy bread is baked and the pasta is heated through, dinner is served!

The skinny on the southwestern pasta 
Not only is this pasta dish a quick and easy solution to dinner, but it is also low in fat and calories.  Below is an approximate breakdown, per serving, of calories and fat for my southwestern pasta:

3/4 cup rotini pasta: 210 calories and 1 gram of fat
1/4 cup salsa: 35 calories and 0 grams of fat
1/4 can cream of chicken soup: 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat
2% milk: 10 calories and .3 grams of fat
Vegetables: 50 calories and .5 grams of fat 

Total calories: 350
Total fat: 3.3 g

Recipe adapted from Campbell's Kitchen Southwest Chicken and Pasta

The Main Dish
Today marks the official launch of Reservation For Two, and I’m kicking things off with a hearty vegetable lasagna made just for two, and not a bite more.  

The key to cutting down a giant helping of noodles, sauce and cheese that makes family sized lasagna, is to ditch the lasagna tray.  Instead, I’ll be using 10-inch pieces of aluminum foil to hold together layers of noodles, vegetables, sauce and cheese baked into delightful, individual squares.    
The Side Dish
Given that lasagna is a pretty hefty meal on its own -- even when you reduce portions -- I’ll be serving the vegetable lasagna with zucchini, caprese skewers.  This light side dish will complement the main course, without overfilling your plate (or your stomach)!  Plus, the zucchini, caprese skewers are a great way to utilize some of the leftover ingredients.

Let’s start cooking!  
I begin with a key element to good tasting lasagna, a great sauce.  I love this recipe because it is quick, easy and of course it tastes good too.

What you'll need
1 cup crushed tomatoes (I like Dei Fratelli all natural crushed tomatoes)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic; saute for 2 to 3 minutes. 
2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper.  Mix well. 
3. Bring to a boil.  Then, reduce heat to low.  Let simmer for about twenty minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, I get started on the lasagna.  This recipe serves two, based on my husband having 2 pieces of lasagna and me having 1.
What you'll need
1 cup lasagna sauce
3 lasagna noodles, cooked and cut into thirds
3 x 1/8-inch thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons boursin light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced 
3/4 tomato, diced
cooking spray

Directions

1. Cut the zucchini in half.  Dice one half into quarters for the lasagna, and slice the other half into 1/4-inch thick pieces for the caprese skewers.  
2. Once the noodles are cooked dry them out on a piece of foil so that they don’t stick together.  When the noodles are dry cut each noodle into thirds.
3. Cut three 10-inch pieces of aluminum foil; lightly spray each foil piece with cooking spray, and apply a thin layer of sauce to the center to further prevent the lasagna from sticking.
4. Instead of packing on layers of shredded cheese, I spread a thin layer (about 1/2 tablespoon) of boursin light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese onto one side of every other noodle third.  Cheese lovers, don’t fret, I do put one thin slice of mozzarella cheese in the center to maintain the gooey goodness that makes lasagna oh so delectable.
5. Layer the lasagna

The Lineup:
• lasagna noodle with boursin spreadable cheese
• vegetables -- zucchini, bell pepper and tomato
• sauce
• lasagna noodle
• mozzarella cheese
• vegetables -- zucchini, bell pepper and tomato
• sauce
• lasagna noodle with boursin spreadable cheese 
 
6.    Fold each side of the foil square and create a packet.  Place each packet on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and the sauce begins to bubble.

While the lasagna is baking I put together the zucchini, caprese skewers.  

What you'll need
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/4 tomato, cut into 4 even pieces
1/4-inch thick slice of fresh mozzarella, cut into 4 even pieces 
1 fresh basil leaf, cut into 4 even pieces
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
4 toothpicks

After about 30 minutes in the oven my lasagna packets are ready. I carefully scoop out each piece and place them alongside my zucchini, caprese skewers. Dinner is served!