RecipePesto Pasta
- Calories: 370
- Protein: 20 g
- Total Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 47 g
- Total Sugar: 5 g
- Natural Sugar 5 g
- Added Sugar: 0 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Dairy
Vegetarian
This pasta dish is a huge hit in my house. I use broth instead of olive oil in the pesto sauce to slash calories, without sacrificing flavor. The whole-wheat penne and vegetables amp up the fiber, for a hearty and satisfying meal.
- Prep time
- Total Time
- 4 cups loosely packed fresh basil
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, quartered
- ½ cup reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 package 100% whole-grain penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch wedges (about 2 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Combine basil, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, broth, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and process to a loose paste. Set pesto sauce aside.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil and cook penne according to package directions. Drain and return to pot (cover to keep warm).
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini to the skillet and sauté until just softened, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue to cook vegetables for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add sautéed vegetables and pesto sauce to pasta and gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated with sauce. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, or simply toss remaining ½ cup Parmesan directly into pasta pesto and mix thoroughly before serving.
Serving Size: 2 cups
Note: To dramatically cut calories and carbs, try swapping out traditional pasta for zucchini linguine. A 2-cup serving of zucchini noodles tossed with pesto sauce contains only 135 calories and 10 g carbs.
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