Warm weather is finally fast approaching! Yay!
Even though I can’t wait for warmer weather, it’s time to get my rear into gear and get serious about slimming down for summer. I literally need to do this every year and while it’s never fun, it’s important to feel confident in your body…especially when you live at the beach 60% of the time haha. However, even though I want to shed a few pounds, food deprivation has never been my thing. Therefore, it’s really nice to have a low calorie version of a high calorie recipe that satisfies me on those “cheat days”. If you know anything about me, you probably know I always cheat with carbs. What’s a good carby dinner recipe? Pasta. So yeah, I made a low calorie creamy linguini last night and it was a massive success!
I know what you’re thinking; “Stephen, it’s impossible to make a low calorie creamy pasta sauce!”, but please give it a chance. I know it seems like an oximoron, but I promise that with a little creativity you can come up with anything. In this healthier version of a typical alfredo sauce, the tons of butter, cheese, and cream are replaced with velvety Greek yogurt and skim milk. I also decreased the amount of Parmesan cheese and slipped sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce to balance everything out. A few peas and onions give you some tasty veggies and yeah… You’ll be surprised how similar this sauce tastes to the full fat version. You might never go back. :)
**Use whole wheat pasta instead of white for extra nutrition and fewer calories.”
8 oz whole wheat linguini
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion (sliced)
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup milk (fat free)
6 oz plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
Salt/pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in a pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook for 7 minutes, or until desired doneness. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Sautee garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, and oregano in the butter for 5 minutes. Stir in milk.
When milk is warm, stir in the Greek yogurt until smooth. Then stir in Parmesan cheese.
Add sun-dried tomatoes and peas with a large pinch of salt/pepper.
Add pasta and toss until coated. Pour in a little pasta water if you’d like a thinner sauce.
Serve with chicken or eat plain. Enjoy!
2 comments
Hannah says:
Mar 26, 2013
Oooh, Greek yogurt! I’m def gonna check this out!
Stephen says:
Mar 26, 2013
Just plop it in the pan. It cuts out like….500+ calories. Then with skim milk you cut out a couple hundred more. It’s genius.