Quick Healthy Pasta Recipe

Posted by Carole Anne on May 13, 2010

….Italian Style!!!

This is a quick healthy recipe you can put together in no time. The flavor comes from some key ingredients that blend together very nicely.  This Italian style recipe with, you guessed it, Italian ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, thinly shaved cured ham (or prosciutto), and grated Parmesan cheese (or fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano).  Now you can go all out and get authentic ingredients to make this recipe really shine, or you can keep it simple and use what you have on hand without going to the Italian deli.  Either way, it’s going to be a winner!

Here we go…

* 1/2  pound spiral noodles (or cavatappi, spirali)
* 1  clove of minced garlic
* 1  tablespoon  fresh parsley, chopped fine
* 2  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
* 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2  teaspoon  salt
* 10-12 thin pieces of thinly shaved ham (or 1 oz prosciutto)
* 1/4  cup parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
* 1/2 cup of chopped onions (optional)

First we cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and drain afterwards in a colander

Next let’s cut the ham into thin strips, maybe 1/4 inch wide or so.

Heat you cooking pan over medium heat and coat it with cooking spray.

Add the minced garlic to pan, and saute for a minute.

Turn heat to low and add 3 tablespoons of water and pasta to the pan.

Stir in parsley, olive oil, salt & pepper, and shaved ham, sprinkle with your parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy!