Low Fat Pasta Recipes

Ingredients:

12 oz dried lasagna noodles -or 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles
10 sun-dried tomatoes -not packed in oil
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms -3/4 ounce
1 1/3 cup low-fat milk
3 tbsp all-purpose white flour, plus 1 teaspoon
2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese -3 tablespoons
1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced -wild and/or cultivated
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary -or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled -and thinly sliced -4 cups

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until barely tender
(8 minutes for dried, 1 minute for fresh). Drain and rinse under cold
water. Spread the noodles on clean kitchen towels, cover with plastic wrap
and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and dried porcini mushrooms.
Add 1 cup boiling water, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Lift out the
tomatoes and mushrooms and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine
sieve and set aside.

3. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the milk over medium heat until steaming.
Meanwhile, put 3 tablespoons flour in a small bowl and gradually whisk in
the remaining 1/3 cup milk until smooth; whisk into the hot milk and stir
constantly over the heat until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Whisk in
cream cheese, then 2/3 cup of the spaghetti sauce and vinegar. Season the
sauce with salt and pepper; set aside.

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions,
carrots and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add fresh
mushrooms, rosemary and the reserved tomatoes and porcini; cook until the
fresh mushrooms are just wilted, about 2 minutes longer. Stir the remaining
1 teaspoon flour into the vegetables. Add the reserved soaking liquid and
the remaining 1/3 cup spaghetti sauce and cook until the mixture thickens,
about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

5. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or coat it
with nonstick cooking spray.

6. Smear the bottom of the prepared dish with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Line
the bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half of the mushroom
mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan.
Add another layer of noodles, arrange butternut squash on top and sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce over all. Add another
layer of noodles, followed by the remaining mushroom mixture; sprinkle with
2 more tablespoons of the Parmesan. Finish with the remaining noodles and
sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

7. Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat it with nonstick
cooking spray, and use it to tightly cover the dish. Bake the lasagna for
30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly
browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

325 calories per serving: 13 grams protein, 6 grams fat (2.4 grams
saturated fat), 58 grams carbohydrate; 275 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 5
grams fiber.

Busted by: Gail Shermeyer <4paws@netrax.net>



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Preparation Time: 0:00

Servings: 8