Tag Archives: italian

Zucchini Pizzas

These were just fabulous ! The big cheese flavor makes you forget that you have a zucchini under there instead of a crust. And using tomato paste instead of sauce really makes for a rich flavor. You get a whole zucchini’s worth for just 90 calories !!

Zucchini Pizzas
Zucchini Pizzas

36 pizzas
90 calories per serving (1 serving = 12 pieces)

3 medium zucchinis each sliced into 12 pieces
6 oz. can tomato paste
36 thin slices 1 inch square part skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 c parmesan cheese
Mixed Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley)

Preheat broiler. Parboil zucchini slices 1-2 minutes and then drain on paper towels. Place on a baking sheet and top each piece with 1 t tomato paste and one slice cheese. Then top with ½ t parmesan and herbs. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Stuffed Shells Florentine

Wow – this is a great filling meal for only 220 calories and if you have a low cal side dish, you can up the amount of shells you eat and still stay under 400 calories. The mushrooms and spinach really bulk up the meal and you feel like you are cheating, but you’re not 🙂

Stuffed Shells Florentine
Stuffed Shells Florentine

8 servings
220 calories per serving

1 c coarsely chopped mushrooms
½ c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
½ t parsley flakes
¼ t pepper
¼ t salt
16 oz. fat free cottage cheese
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
½ c Egg Beaters
24 jumbo shells
15 oz. marinara sauce
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Saute mushrooms, garlic, onion, and seasonings in a skillet sprayed with Pam. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese, spinach and eggs. Spoon the mix into the shells. Spread ½ c of sauce into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish and place the shells in the dish. Top with the rest of the sauce and bake 35-40 minutes. You can make these well ahead and keep refrigerated and then just slip into the oven 40 minutes before it’s time to eat – that makes it a great convenient meal and a great one for entertaining.

Sicilian Scallops

I always find bay scallops sweeter than their larger sisters. The spinach mix gives this dish a special feel and it is sooooo low calorie !

Sicilian Scallops
Sicilian Scallops

4 servings
197 calories per serving

1 ¼ lb. bay scallops or seas scallops, quartered
Pam
1 T oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chopped basil
¼ t salt
½ t black pepper
1 c cherry tomatoes
4 c spinach leaves
¼ c sliced black olives
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Rinse and dry scallops. Spray skillet with Pam and then add oil and heat. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Do not let it brown or it will be bitter. Add scallops, basil, salt and pepper and cook until scallops are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. If you get a lot of water in the bottom of the pan, drain it or the scallops will not brown. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Add tomatoes and spinach to skillet and cook just until spinach is wilted. Add olives and cheese and mix well. Place tomato mix around bed of scallops and serve immediately.

Alfredo Shrimp Over Wild Mushroom Fettucine

Here’s another great meal using FiberGourmet pasta – without it, the calorie count would make this meal unreachable in a 400 calories per meal lifestyle. Thank you, thank you, FiberGourmet !! The rich sauce over the mushroomy noodles was just a perfect mix for this alfredo dish. I can’t wait to try their other varieties of flavored noodles !

Alfredo Shrimp Over Wild Mushroom Fettucine
Alfredo Shrimp Over Wild Mushroom Fettucine

4 servings
340 calories per serving

8 oz. FiberGourmet Wild Mushroom Fettucine
1 ½ c frozen peas
¾ c low fat alfredo sauce
¼ c fat free half and half
1 lb. shelled, cleaned cooked medium shrimp
½ t basil flakes
¼ t pepper
Salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions and during the last 3 minutes of cooking time, add the peas then drain it all together. Combine sauce, half and half, shrimp, basil, salt and pepper in a sauce pan and heat slightly. Add cooked pasta and peas and cook 2-3 minutes to heat through.

Open Face Eggplant Melts

These are INCREDIBLY good – each piece in and of itself is good, and all put together, it makes an awesome appetizer, lunch or snack ! The balsamic dressing on the eggplant and zucchini make this very special and I recommend you don’t skip that step.

Open Face Eggplant Melt
Open Face Eggplant Melt

4 servings
260 calories per serving

1/2 lb. eggplant cut into 8 slices
1 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 8 long slices
1/3 c low fat balsamic vinegar dressing
4 ¾ inch thick slices of Italian bread
3 T low fat mayo
½ t basil flakes
Pepper to taste
1 tomato cut into 8 slices
3 slices part skim ricotta each cut into 4 strips
Pam

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and preheat broiler. Place eggplant and zucchini slices on sheet and brush with half of the dressing then broil 5 minutes, turn, brush with the rest of the dressing, and broil another 5-7 minutes. Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and broil 1-2 minutes to lightly toast. Combine mayo, basil and pepper and spread on bread. Top each piece of bread with 2 eggplant slices, 2 zucchini slices, 2 tomato slices and 3 strips of cheese and broil 1-2 minutes. If the bread you use is not large enough to support 2 pieces of eggplant, zucchini and tomato, cut it down to 1 and lay the cheese across lengthwise rather than crosswise.

Anchovy and Bibb Lettuce

This is sooooo close to my original Caesar Salad dressing and it is just a fraction of the calorie cost due to the reduction in oil and the removal of the egg yolk. This has that biting garlic and anchovy taste that makes a Caesar salad one of the best things on earth !

Anchovy and Bibb Lettuce
Anchovy and Bibb Lettuce

4 servings
45 calories per serving

2 anchovy fillets, mashed
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 ½ t lemon juice
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head Bibb lettuce (Boston, Romain or Green Leaf will also do nicely)
½ c packed parsley leaves

Whisk lemon juice, garlic and anchovies. Add in oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Tear lettuce and toss with dressing and parsley. To make the dressing preparation go quicker, drop the garlic and anchovies in a small food processor and process until well minced. Then add lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and process until frothy and well mixed.

Meatball Soup

This is a very quick soup to make, but it tastes as good as soups that simmer for hours.

Meatball Soup
Meatball Soup

4 servings
223 calories per serving

12 precooked turkey meatballs ( I use Shady Brook Farms Italian flavor ones)
4 c vegetable broth
2 c water
1/2 c ditalini or orzo (or ¾ c FiberGourmet pasta for the same calories!)
1 14.5 oz. can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c diced zucchini
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
¼ t crushed red pepper
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped

Bring broth and water to a boil. Cook pasta 4 minutes (if you are using the FiberGourmet pasta, add 2-3 more minutes here as the pasta tends to take longer to cook). Stir in tomatoes, zucchini, salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and meatballs. Bring back to boil, then reduce heat and keep at a low boil 7 minutes or until pasta is tender. Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley and 1 T cheese.

Pasta and Artichoke Hearts in Green Sauce

Another recipe that because of FiberGourmet pasta, you can eat a real satisfying portion size ! That means plenty of room for some grated parmesan cheese on top…and even room for a grilled chicken cutlet. You won’t believe the portion size when you make this. The sauce on the pasta and artichokes is very flavorful, light, well-textured and colorful – – it was surprisingly good !

Pasta and Artichoke Hearts in Green Sauce
Pasta and Artichoke Hearts in Green Sauce


3 servings
279 calories per serving

1 T oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 9 oz. packages of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
¾ c chicken broth
¾ c water
8 oz. pasta (shells or rotini – FiberGourmet pasta recommended)
1 c frozen peas, thawed
1 T lemon juice
½ t tarragon flakes
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c low fat sour cream
2 t flour
¼ c finely chopped red bell pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet, add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Then add the artichokes and cook another minute then add broth and ¾ c water and bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. When done, drain any remaining liquid into a measuring cup. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and then drain but keep enough of the liquid to fill the measuring cup to ¾ c of total liquid. In a food processor mix the reserved liquid, peas, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and then pour the sauce into the skillet with the artichokes and bring to a boil. Whisk together the sour cream and the flour and place in the skillet and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour mix over the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with the peppers and serve immediately.

Without FiberGourmet pasta, this recipe comes in at 359 calories. Not horrendous, but when it comes to pasta, I want as much as possible 🙂

Eggplant Parmesan

This makes a nice crispy eggplant parm that is tasty and satisfying. You can always substitute regular breadcrumbs, but I think this comes out better with the panko breadcrumbs.

Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan

4 servings
355 calories per serving

1/4 c skim milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 t salt
1/2 t parsley flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t oregano flakes
1/4 t pepper
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
Pam
1 T oil
24 oz. marinara sauce
½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
½ c shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine milk and eggs in a bowl. In another bowl combine breadcrumbs, salt, parsley, garlic, oregano and pepper. Dip eggplant slices into the egg mix, then into the breadcrumbs to coat. Press down on the crumbs to make sure they stick well. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and place the eggplant slices on it, drizzle with half the oil and bake for 15 minutes. Turn slices over and drizzle with the rest of the oil and bake another 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place 1/2 c sauce in an 11×7 baking dish and place half the eggplant slices in the pan and then spoon 1 cup sauce over. Sprinkle with ½ of each of the cheeses and then repeat the layer. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Meatball Parmesan in a Pita

I like my meatballs very spicy, so I add a good amount of red pepper flakes to this one. Prep time is 5 minutes – that’s it !

Meatball Parmesan in a Pita
Meatball Parmesan in a Pita

1 serving
365 calories per serving

1 whole wheat pita (140 calorie version)
3 vegetable meatballs
1 T shredded parmesan cheese (shredded, not grated)
3 T marinara sauce
Spices to taste: pepper, oregano flakes, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder

Slit open the pita. Slice meatballs in thirds and heat meatballs, spices and sauce for 30 seconds in the microwave. Fill the pita with the meatballs, sauce and cheese.

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