cooking light

i act like a middle-aged woman and yes, i subscribe to cooking light and real simple. it’s kind of funny actually. but cooking light has a lot of great, healthy recipes that are actually easy to make!

last night i attempted their penne with chickpeas, feta, and tomatoes - it was delicious! here’s the recipe and final result:

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in bell pepper and chickpeas; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in pasta and reserved cooking liquid; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add feta and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 458

Fat: 13.3g (sat 4.5g,mono 6.2g,poly 1.4g)

Protein: 16.5g

Carbohydrate: 70.5g

Fiber: 7.5g

Cholesterol: 19mg

Iron: 3.8mg

Sodium: 759mg

Calcium: 172mg