Is there such a thing as healthy pasta with Alfredo sauce? Perhaps not, but you can’t blame me for trying!
You see, Alfredo sauce is a craving of mine. And I got the craving the other week. Unfortunately I had no Alfredo sauce in the house and I am not one to make it from scratch either. In fact, out of the jar is what makes it so comforting to me, I don’t have to do too much!!
So last week I bought a jar of Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo sauce. (It says Gluten Free on the label!) And then I got to feeling under the weather and so I *really* wanted carbs and cheese, and lots of it! And this is what I ended up with…
Alfredo Vegetable Pasta
an original from Beyond Rice and Tofu
1 pound of pasta, gluten free *
1 – 15 oz jar Classico Alfredo sauce, check the label
1 – 15 oz can artichoke hearts in water, chopped
8 oz frozen spinach
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not in oil, chopped
1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable broth, as needed to thin
1 – 15 oz can white beans, drained (or garbanzos, cooked chicken or shrimp*)
a few Kalamata olives, sliced
fresh basil, torn
Cook pasta. For gluten free pasta, use lots of water in a large pot. And stir frequently to prevent it from sticking together.
Empty contents of sauce into a medium saucepan. Add artichoke hearts, spinach and tomatoes and stir to combine. (You can add the spinach still frozen like I did.) Add broth as needed to thin slightly. Add beans and just cook till beans are heated through.
Drain pasta. Place in serving bowls and stir in some sauce. * Top with olives and basil. Enjoy!
Notes:
* My favorite pasta is Trader Joe’s brand, which is the same as Tinkyada pasta.
* I have been eating a bit of meat or fish here or there to bump up my perennially low B-12 levels. I added some cooked (frozen) shrimp to mine.
* Keep leftover cooked pasta and sauce separate. Reheat pasta in a covered bowl with a teaspoon or two of water in the microwave. Reheat sauce separately and then combine as desired.
Beyond Rice and Tofu 