PENNE ALLA VODKA

By grinder

The dirty little secret about Penne alla Vodka is not the vodka but the hefty amount of heavy cream. Vodka is colorless, odorless, and without much flavor—not really attributes of a superstar ingredient. It's the combination of cream and tomato sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor. The traditional cream is swapped here for low-fat Greek yogurt.

4.8g fat/320 calories/18g protein/55g carb/11mg chol/6g fiber/416mg sodium

HEALTHY TIPS:
Whole-wheat pasta has a dense texture that makes it a little tougher than regular pasta. Some people like that chewiness; some don't. If you're in the latter category, overcook it a bit. Toward the end of the cooking time, keep testing it until it's as tender as you like it.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. whole wheat penne
• 2 cups Rocco's How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce or store-bought low-fat marinara
• 1 Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 7 oz. 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, about 9 minutes; drain.

While the pasta is cooking, bring the marinara sauce and crushed red pepper to a simmer in a large nonstick sauté pan over med-heat. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally with a heat- resistant rubber spatula, until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove sauté pan from heat.

Stir about ½ cup of the marinara sauce into the yogurt until smooth (this tempers it and prevents the yogurt from curdling). Then whisk the yogurt mixture back into the marinara sauce.

In a large serving bowl, toss the sauce with the drained penne and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cheese on top, and serve.