Supernatural Botanicals

If you think Olive Garden and Taco Bell when you think of ethnic foods, you’re missing the boat…the boat to the Mediterranean, that is.  I’ve been cooking lots of Mediterranean dishes this summer, from Greek pizzas, pastas, meats, and even desserts.  This is one of my favorite go-to pasta recipes.  It’s perfect for a quick dinner or lunch, great to stuff into Chinese carryout cartons for a picnic, or even a late night picnic in bed. 

The tomatoes, the basil, the garlic, it all brings such a great combination of flavors to the party.  Quick and simple, and won’t blow your daily caloric intake budget, either. 

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh linguine
• 3/4  cup  oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
• 1/4  cup  loosely packed basil leaves
• 2  tablespoons  slivered almonds
• 2  tablespoons  preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1  tablespoon  bottled minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.

While pasta cooks, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped.

Combine tomato mixture and the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add to pasta; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with feta.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

300 (30% from fat)

Fat:

9.9g (sat 3.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.6g)

Protein:

12.3g

Carbohydrate:

42g

Fiber:

4.3g

Cholesterol:

61mg

Iron:

3.1mg

Sodium:

570mg

Calcium:

141mg