Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spinach and Chive Linguine in an Alfredo Sauce with Garlic Bread

After a trip to my favorite Trader Joe's, I found myself trying to come up with a green dinner to have on St Patrick's Day that didn't include Corned Beef and Cabbage ... I came up with Spinach and Chive pasta with an alfredo sauce and Garlic Bread that catered to green spices of parsley and basil ... not so Irish, but it was green!


I boiled two bags of the pasta shown above and got started on my sauce.  Alfredo sauces tend to be on the fattening side so I used healthier options in this sauce.  In a pan over medium heat I melted about 1/4 tbsp of butter that was non hydrogenated, meaning there were no trans fats in it.  I added 1/2 c chopped onions to the butter and let them cook together until the onions began to brown.  I then added 1 c of parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp of garlic powder to the pan to mix together.  Once mixed, I used 1 1/4 c of fat free half and half instead of pure cream.  Reduce the heat  and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.  

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the alfredo sauce stirring all together.

In the last 10 minutes of my sauce cooking, I sliced a loaf of par baked french bread in half and preheated my oven to 400 degrees.  I covered the bread in non hydrogenated margarine (olive oil also works nicely too).  I topped the bread with some garlic, parsley and basil and then baked the bread for about 7 minutes, for another 3 minutes I changed the oven setting to broil- allowing for a nice crisp texture.

Once the bread is the coloring you desire, slice into individual pieces and serve.

Jeremy with his GREEN Spinach and Chive Alfredo

Troy and Scarlett came to celebrate St Patty's Day with us ... all set for the adult table!

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