¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta according to package directions,
drain, and cool under cold water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet large
enough to hold the whole dish over medium
high. Sauté the onion 2 minutes. Add the garlic
and cook 1 minute longer. Toss in the bell pep
pers and cook 5–8 minutes until tender.
Add the spinach just to wilt it. Stir in the
cooked pasta, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle
Parmesan cheese over each serving.
Per serving : 283 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat (3%
calories from saturated fat), 51 g carbohydrate, 11 g
protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 144 mg sodium. Exchanges:
2 ½ Starch, 3 Vegetable, ½ Fat
ROASTED RED
PEPPER SOUP
If the peppers have done really well and you’ve
left enough to ripen (redden) on the plant,
then here’s a special soup for the early winter
season.
SERVES 6
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup diced sweet onion
2 garlic cloves
4 large red bell peppers, roasted (see page 212)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juice
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium
high. Sauté the onion 2 minutes, and then add
the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the
roasted peppers, tomatoes, and stock, and br
ing to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10
minutes.
Whiz half the soup in a blender, then pour
it back into the pan. Season with salt, pepper,
and vinegar. Divide among 6 hot soup bowls
and serve with some good hearty, whole-grain
bread.
Per serving : 48 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 8 g
carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1 g dietary fi ber, 361 mg
sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
MULTICOLOR
PEPPER SAUTÉ
If you love great colors, this dish will delight
you. Serve as a side dish to barbecued meats,
in omelets, or heaped on small garlic-rubbed
toast rounds as bruschetta.
SERVES 4
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup sliced sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into fi ne strips
214 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE