Tonight was one of those days when I didn’t feel like making an elaborate meal, but I still wanted something healthy and satisfying. So I just turned to my fridge and pantry – and came up with a quick, healthy, tasty pasta dish! It didn’t take longer than 30 min to make – and tasted great at the end!
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 cup red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Dried oregano (to taste)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt
- Whole wheat pasta (I use either penne or rotini) – make sure the pasta has at least 5-6g fiber per serving! That’s how you know it’s really whole wheat.
- Jar of pasta sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce!) – the key here is to avoid any pasta sauces with added sugar, preservatives etc. You want an all natural sauce made with real tomatoes and is low in calories! (~50 calories per serving is a good number to look for)
- Shredded fresh parmesean or shredded mozarella (Trader Joe’s has a great 4 cheese blend that I like to use)
Red Onion, Red Pepper, Garlic
Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
Trader Joe's 4 Cheese Blend
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Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, add salt to taste. Drain and set aside
2. Add 2 tsp olive oil to a pot over medium heat
3. Add garlic, red pepper and red onions, saute for 5 min
4. Add pasta sauce to the pot (so your sauce will become more chunky because of the fresh veggies) and bring to a simmer
5. Add dried oregano to taste and stir, simmer for 5 min
6. Take 1 cup pasta and 1/2 cup sauce and put on a plate. Top with 2 Tbsp cheese. Enjoy!
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Sauce after it's done
Dinner is served!
Yum!
Don’t you just love Trader Joe’s? I’m usually there once or twice a week picking up lots of yummy healthy stuff. 🙂
Haha yes I do! I go there every week also – I think over half of the stuff I cook with is from there – it’s such a great resource! 🙂