Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes

I. Love. This. Pasta. I’m almost tempted to leave this post at that, but that wouldn’t be enough to tell you about it’s lightness, the brightness of the lemon, how quick and easy it is to make.

This may seem on the surface to be a simple tomato and basil sauce but it’s so much more. First of all the use of the cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes if that’s all you can find) makes it sweet but it’s the lemon juice that makes it. The lemon provides an amazing tang behind the sweetness of the tomatoes which keeps the dish light. Perhaps the best endorsement is that I served this to my husband and my parents without telling them it was part of “a diet” and they all loved it so much my Mom asked for the recipe and Adam’s requested it several times again!

At only 298 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving I have enough fat and calories left over in my budget to toss some Parmesan cheese on top and make a nice salad.

 

Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes

Adapted from The alli Diet Plan

Ingredients

• 1 lb of linguine
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), halved
• 3/4 cup fresh basil

Instructions

• Turn on the heat under a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a frying pan heat the oil, the garlic (crushed and minced), and the tomatoes. Saute gently over medium heat.
• When the pasta is just about halfway cooked, squeeze the lemon juice into the frying pan, add in the broth, and then toss in the basil. Stir to combine.
• Under-cook the pasta just a tiny bit and toss it into the frying pan and allow it to soak up the liquid in the pan.
• Serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat

Number of servings (yield): 8

Calories: 298

Fat: 6