Garden Vegetable Penne with Meatballs
Make the relish tray ahead of time, so that it will be ready and waiting for you to snack on while you make the pasta.
Appetizer: Antipasti-Style Relish Tray
Dinner: Garden Vegetable Penne with Meatballs
Relish Tray
1/4 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1/4 pound baby carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 pound celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/4 cup Kalamata olives packed in vinegar brine and olive oil
1/4 cup pickled peperoncini
1/4 cup pickled hot cherry peppers
1/4 cup pickled imported Spanish Queen olives stuffed with pimientos
1/4 cup pickled Holland cocktail onions
5 fresh basil leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 dash red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Blanch the green beans and carrots separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, and shock in ice water to cool.
Put all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the olive oil. Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving in shallow glass dishes.
Yield: about 4 servings
Garden Vegetable Penne with Meatballs
1 1/2 cup dry whole-grain penne pasta (I really like Trader Joe’s Multigrain Penne with Flax)
1 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup sliced white mushrooms
1/4 cup eggplant, peeled and diced
1/4 cup zucchini, sliced
1/4 cup yellow summer squash, sliced
6 frozen vegetarian meatballs (You can substitute lean turkey meatballs, if you prefer)
2 tbsp dry grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting any added salt or fat. Set aside and keep warm.
Combine the marinara sauce and vegetables (bell pepper through squash) in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked.
While the sauce is cooking, heat the meatballs according to the package directions.
Combine hot pasta, sauce and meatballs in a large bowl. Divide the mixture between two plates and top each with one tablespoon of Parmesan.
Serves 2.
Nutrition Info:
1 serving each of appetizer and dinner:
Calories: 477, Fat: 20, Carbohydrate: 55, Fiber: 10 and Protein: 24