Pasta Primavera

Susan Westmoreland, food director at Good Housekeeping magazine, shares inexpensive dinner menus that'll help you bring home the bacon

by Susan Westmoreland

Makes: 4 main-dish servings

INGREDIENTS

• Salt • 1 package (16 ounces) corkscrew pasta (rotini) • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press • 12 oz green beans, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 2-inch pieces • 1 1/4 cups packaged shredded carrots (about 4 ounces) • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving • 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

Total time: 30 minutes Price: $1.14 per serving

Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook as label directs.

Meanwhile, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and green beans and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.

Add carrots; cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Add ½ cup Parmesan, cream, and ½ teaspoon salt; heat to boiling. Remove from heat.

When pasta is cooked to desired doneness, remove ½ cup cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta. Toss vegetables with pasta and reserved cooking water. Serve with additional Parmesan, if you like.

Each serving: About 640 calories, 22 g protein, 95 g carbohydrate, 19 total fat (10 g saturated), 6 g fiber, 29 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium.

© 2005 MSNBC Interactive