Fallen Souffle

I have become cautious of new “healthy” cooking shows that the Food Network puts out. The first one I remember was the one with Kathleen Daelman where she would renovate a person’s diet and give little tips on how to snack a little healthier. I don’t think her show has been on a few years, I liked it but she didn’t do anything spectacular that I hadn’t heard before. Then Atkins became popular and George Stella came on with “Lo Carb and Lovin It,” I couldn’t stand watching this guy. Even worse was when his wife was on, talk about being uncomfortable in front of a camera. I never did the lo-carb thing but found his recipes to be a bit far fetched. Lastly there was the Calorie Commando Juan Carlos who made it his personal challenge to re-create favorite recipes of viewers. I initially liked him but when he “transformed” stuffed shells from a cheesy delight to a broccoli and spinach dish…I was done.

So when Ellie Krieger’s show debuted a few weeks ago I was a bit skeptical. Another health nut trying to give us the same recipes and tips to get us to eat healthy. But I actually really liked her. She seems to be much more realistic about eating (though I was slightly disappointed with last week’s dinner parties episode- come on 2 crab cakes per person as an entree!) and I like her spin on traditional recipes.

Her first episode was dedicated to comfort food, something near and dear to my heart. I love some mac and cheese and crave it like a champ. Ok so she didn’t actually talk about mac and cheese but she would be my hero if she found a healthy way to make it. But she did make some yummy looking dishes included Pasta Puttanesca. Why I haven’t had this pasta before is beyond me because it includes some of my favorite things; pasta, olives and garlic! YUM! I whipped this up for lunch on Saturday, took a total of 15 minutes, and I had the leftovers today which was perfect since I started an 8 hr shift at 3:30am and decided to go to the gym afterwards- not smart. Starving does not even begin to describe it!

This would be a perfect meal for two or lunch for a couple of days. It relies on pantry staples (I just had to buy arugula but I bet you could use spinach too) which is always a plus in my book.

Pasta Puttanesca
from Ellie Krieger

8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably “no salt added”
3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 25th, 2006 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Dinner. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.