A trio of simple pasta dishes

Newsday (MCT) - Three simple pasta dishes to try:

ARTICHOKE AND EDAMAME DITALINI

8 ounces (about 1ľ cups) ditalini pasta

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

14 ounces bottled marinated artichoke hearts (2 cups)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

˝ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

˝ cup grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add ditalini and boil 5 minutes. Add edamame and boil another 5 minutes; drain.

2. Drain the artichokes and reserve the liquid. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters and set aside.

3. Heat the drained marinade liquid in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (Some of the water will boil away, leaving mostly oil in the pan.) Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, or until slightly golden; add the artichoke hearts and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Toss with the pasta.

4. Stir in salt, lemon juice, zest and Parmesan cheese; serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 374 calories, 18 g protein, 8 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 821 mg sodium

FARFALLE WITH ASPARAGUS AND THREE CHEESES

8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

˝ teaspoon salt

˝ cup part-skim ricotta

˝ cup grated mozzarella

Ľ cup grated Parmesan

1. Cook pasta in plenty of lightly salted, boiling water according to package directions. Scoop out Ľ cup cooking water and reserve; drain pasta in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and add the asparagus; cook, stirring, 5 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Combine with the onion and stir in salt.

3. Toss the pasta and vegetables together; add the reserved pasta water and toss. Add the ricotta a spoonful at a time, gently stirring between additions. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan and serve warm. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 383 calories, 20 g protein, 5 g fiber, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 511 mg sodium

SPAGHETTI WITH PERFECTLY SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

8 ounces spaghetti

1˝ pounds plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

˝ cup low-fat chicken or vegetable broth

Ľ cup parsley, chopped

Ľ cup fresh basil, chopped

Ľ cup grated Parmesan

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, quarter tomatoes, remove stems and chop coarsely in food processor (or by hand). Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds, or until lightly golden. Add tomato, black pepper and broth and gently simmer until much of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil and remove from heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Toss with the cooked spaghetti and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

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Nutritional analysis per serving: 340 calories, 12 g protein, 5 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 168 mg sodium

TIP: Adding oil or salt to the cooking water does not prevent pasta from clumping-the key is to bring plenty of water to a vigorous boil before adding the pasta.

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© 2009, Newsday.