Day eleven - Spicy Mediterranean Pasta

Jeremiah and I are half way through our second week of not eating out. The challenge to see how long we can go without eating out is becoming sorta fun. I was always a competitive person.

I subbed this morning, and Gideon was super active; he must have really liked the room I was in. I'm taking out the recycling, getting some doctor paper work for J, and getting groceries later today as well as going to my doctor's appointment. We are now doing bi-weekly checkups.

Last night was lot of fun with our new small group. I made spaghetti (I personally liked the sauce I made, needed some sugar). I also made a cake, the icing gave me some trouble. But there are only two pieces left... so it went over well!

The recipe for Spicy Mediterranean Pasta can be found here...

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg (13.25 oz each) dry whole wheat rotini, uncooked
1 pkg (16 oz each) frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, undrained
1 can (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli last 8 minutes of pasta cook time.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant. Add undrained tomatoes, beans, vinegar and red pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta mixture, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return pasta and broccoli to saucepan. Add tomato mixture, salt and pepper; toss to coat. If pasta mixture is too dry, add the reserved cooking water, 1/2 cup at a time, until sauce reaches desired consistency.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (estimated):
Serving Size 8 servings (1-1/2 cups each)
Calories 285

COOK'S TIPS
If you don't have balsamic vinegar on hand, try red wine vinegar instead. To replace the fresh garlic with garlic powder, use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for the 4 cloves. You can also use great northern beans as a substitute.

COST:
rotini $1.00
broccoli (on sale) $1.00
olive oil (estimate) $.50
garlic cloves (had on hand) $.50
can of diced tomatoes $.60
1 can of beans $.65
Vinegar (the bottle was close to $3) $.10
red pepper flakes (dollar tree buy) $.15
salt and pepper (no cost)
TOTAL: $4.50
Makes 8 servings = .56 cents a serving.. there will be leftovers!

I'm excited to see what Jeremiah thinks of this dish. It's meatless, and that might be strange for some. But it is healthy and cheaper to eat meatless at least once a week.

Have a great afternoon everyone.