Being Italian, we love pasta as a meal choice all the time. And while we’ll definitely splurge on a family gathering or holiday meal, we needed to make our family recipes a bit healthier for during the week meals. Always in moderation, that’s our mom’s motto!
Lemon and cream are a favorite for us – either savory or sweet – so we decided to try a lemon cream pasta a healthier way.
I think most people are under the assumption that healthy food can’t really taste that good. Not us! We’re all about changing the presentation to trick the mind! Remember, we eat with our eyes first so the presentation is important… at least it is to us!
Placing the pasta into one of the ingredients that flavors the dish was the perfect choice (see photo below). Using the lemon as the serving piece worked perfectly and looked so amazing. As the pasta sits in the hollowed out lemon, it absorbs even more wonderful lemon flavor. We loved it!
Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
- 8 oz pasta, whole wheat, gluten free
- 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 t grated lemon zest
- 1/4 t salt, taste first
- 1/4 t cracked black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
- 2 tablespoons chives, minced
Directions
Boil pasta according to package directions and set aside. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
In a skillet on medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the yogurt, parmesan, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
Add in drained pasta. Stir to combine and taste it!
Adjust any seasoning to your liking. A sprinkling of parsley and chives for the garnish, and you’re good to go!
