Pickles The Cat

A simple pasta dish made with fresh garden tomatoes, asparagus in a light tomato broth.

I love pasta and crave it often. To keep it light, I loaded it up with vegetables used a high fiber pasta like Ronzoni Smart Taste which has the same great taste as regular pasta and my family doesn’t notice the difference. The portions are very generous!

Angel Hair with Shrimp and Asparagus
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 378.4 • Fat: 6.8 g • Carbs: 52.1 g • Fiber: 8.5 g • Protein: 31.6 g

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
6-8 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deviened
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 oz white wine
salt and fresh pepper
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence (or you can use your favorite herbs)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (gives it a little kick)
8 oz angel hair pasta, high fiber or low carb

Directions:

Heat a large skillet on high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. When skillet is hot, spray with oil and add shrimp. Cook shrimp about 2 minutes in each side until almost cooked through and remove from the pan. Set aside.

Reduce skillet heat to medium, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden, careful not to burn. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer about 4 minutes. Add white wine and broth and stir. Add asparagus, salt, pepper and herbs. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes on medium low heat.

While sauce is simmering, boil salted water and cook pasta until desired tenderness. Drain when done.

After sauce simmers 10 minutes, add shrimp to sauce to finish cooking, about 1 minutes (Do not overcook or shrimp will get tough). Add pasta to the sauce and toss well. Divide equally in 4 bowls and top with a good grated cheese.

Spring is here and asparagus is at it’s best this time of the year. I buy lots of it and steam it to use for quick recipes throughout the week. Asparagus is high in fiber, vitamin A and C, and low in calories. This delicious frittata uses reduced fat Swiss cheese and egg whites to keep this low in points.

Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Frittata
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 servings • Time: 20-25 minutes • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 228.2 • Fat: 11.3 g • Carb: 12.6 g • Fiber: 3.6 g • Protein: 21.2 g

Ingredients:

1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 tsp butter
3 large eggs
5 large egg whites
1 tbsp 1% milk
2 tbsp fresh grated Pecorino Romano
3 oz reduced fat Swiss cheese (I used Sargento)
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam asparagus crisp and tender, about 2-5 minutes. Thinly slice on the diagonal.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and saute until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add steamed asparagus, salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, grated cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Add half of the swiss and mix well.

Add eggs to the skillet making sure eggs cover the asparagus. Cook on medium for about 4 minutes, until the edges begin to set. Move the skillet to oven. Cook about 15 minutes, or until frittata is completely cooked. Serve warm, cut into 4 equal wedges.