Claudia Meka of West Seneca, N.Y., wrote to ask if her rigatoni recipe could be lightened. The spicy pasta dish is loaded with flavor, so I didn’t miss the rich fatty taste when I eliminated the whipping cream. A combination of low-fat milk and cornstarch worked just as well and greatly reduced the calories, fat and cholesterol. I found I could reduce the amount of cheese, but it needs to be a good quality freshly grated Parmesan for maximum flavor.
FLAVORFUL RIGATONI WITH TOMATOES AND VODKA
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Cooking time: 25 minutes
1 tablespoon corn-oil margarine
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 can (16 ounces) plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
3 ounces capicolla sausage, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup vodka
3/4 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces rigatoni, cooked, drained
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1/8 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper or to taste
1. Melt margarine in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, reserved juices and capicolla; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vodka and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Combine milk and cornstarch in small bowl. Add to skillet along with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes. Add rigatoni; stir until sauce coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, place 1 1/2 cups pasta on each of 4 plates and top each with 1 tablespoon remaining cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 435 Fat …… 13 g Cholesterol …… 23 mg
Sodium ….. 929 mg