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low calorie pasta

How to reduce calories in pasta

This recipe is extremely fast to make. It only takes couple of minutes to assemble everything on the pan. Make sure you have all ingredients prepared and chopped before you turn on the pan.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 3
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 281
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 oz banza spaghetti or linguini noodles
  • 2 medium zucchini 12 oz/300 g
  • 2 slices bacon 60 calories per slice
  • 1 oz heavy whipping cream or 1 tbs butter
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • ½ lemon zested and juiced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Cuisinart Food Processor
  • Knife
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Large nonstick pan

Method
 

  1. Start with filing pot with water for the noodles. Cover it up and bring to boil.
  2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop bacon, garlic and zest one lemon
  3. Prepare zucchini noodles. You can make spiral noodles using a food processor or thick ribbons using a vegetable peeler
  4. When the water starts boiling, salt it generously and put the pasta in
  5. The cooking instructions on banza spaghetti or linguini is 8-10 minutes. I always reduce it to 5 -6 minutes.
  6. Before draining pasta, reserve one cup of pasta water and set it aside
  7. Heat a large nonstick pan and add bacon. Keep the heat at medium
  8. When bacon is browned add red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook it for a minute for the garlic to soften. Do not allow to brown
  9. Add pasta and zucchini
  10. Salt and pepper to taste and toss it
  11. Add a half a cup of reserved pasta water, stir and see if you need more
  12. Add spinach, juice of half lemon and cream
  13. Cook it for a minute and let the sauce to thicken
  14. Turn off the heat, add lemon zest and serve

Notes

ITEMS USED IN PREPARING THIS RECIPE
Cuisinart Food Processor
Vegetable peeler
Miyabi Kaizen Chef's Knife
Frying Pan with Lid, Nonstick Copper