Healthy recipe: Pomodoro pasta with white beans & olives

Yield: 2 servings, 2 cups each

Servings: 2

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Recipe description:

In honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month, capture the flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes with this elegant-yet-quick, fresh tomato sauce. Although it’s an uncooked sauce, the beans are heated briefly in the olive oil and garlic to infuse them with flavor.

Recipe ingredients:

1. 4 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells, tubetti, ziti or rigatoni

2. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3. 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed

4. 1 large clove garlic, minced

5. 2 ripe medium tomatoes, diced

6. 2 tablespoons oil-cured black olives (see Tips for Two), pitted and chopped

7. 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

8. Freshly ground pepper to taste

9. 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Recipe steps:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add tomatoes, olives, basil and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Divide the pasta between 2 plates and top with the bean mixture and cheese.

Recipe tip for two:

Small amounts of olives can be purchased from bulk bins and salad bars.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 478 calories; 16 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 14 g fiber; 902 mg sodium; 824 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (23% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv).

4 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 5 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 1/2 fat