Spicy-Sweet Linguine alla Vodka

By Hklbrries

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine
• 1 1/2 cups store-bought low-fat marinara sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) bottle fire-roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• Salt
• Freshly 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.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce and sliced peppers to a simmer in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Cook the sauce, stirring it occasionally with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Put the yogurt in a small bowl. Stir about 1/2 cup of the warmed sauce into the yogurt until smooth (this tempers it and prevents the yogurt from curdling). Then whisk the yogurt mixture into the marinara sauce. Keep the sauce off the heat, and cover the pan to keep the sauce warm.

Drain the linguine in a colander. Slide it into a large serving bowl, and add the sauce, basil and 1 tsp of the hot pepper sauce. Toss gently until the linguine is evenly coated with sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you like, the remaining 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and serve.

Note: You'll notice there's no vodka in this recipe, and that's intentional. It doesn't add much except empty calories, and who wants to waste a great cocktail in a dish of pasta?

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
307 calories
7 g fat (2 g saturated, 1 g monounsaturated, .5 g polyunsaturated)
8 mg cholesterol
772 mg sodium
52 g carbohydrates
8 g fiber
14 g protein