Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta

You all know my weakness for pasta and cream sauces, right? So I don't need to go over again how much I love any and all types of pasta or how cream sauces make me swoon? Good. I don't want to bore you.

As you also know, we are trying to eat healthier these days. Pasta and cream sauces don't normally fit into that kind of lifestyle, but I have to practice moderation in some things because I can't completely give up the things I love. Enter this insanely good recipe for Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta. As Stephanie points out, the original recipe is full of heavy, fatty (delicious) ingredients. The good news is she was able to lighten it up substantially without sacrificing flavor. That makes me very, very happy. I want to be a healthier cook but I admit to knowing nothing about transforming unhealthy recipes. So a big thank you to Stephanie for doing the heavy lifting for me.


I served this pasta as a side dish, another attempt at enjoying the things we love in moderation - turn pasta into a side dish instead of an entree. Of course I served it with steak (not so healthy), but tried to redeem myself with grilled asparagus. We both loved it and I snuck an extra fork-ful before packing the leftovers away. The next day I turned the leftovers into a delicious pasta dish by cutting the steak and asparagus into bite-size pieces and tossing it with the pasta and a little water to thin out the sauce again (don't you hate how creamy sauces clump up once refrigerated?) It was insanely good, dare I say better than the original meal.

My only modification was to add fresh herbs instead of dried. I always have parsley in the fridge and I'm growing basil in my garden. Both added a wonderful burst of freshness to the dish. This couldn't have been simpler to make since you're cooking everything in one pan. Baby Girl tried a bite of mine at dinner and then enjoyed her portion the following night (she's a carbaholic, you know).

Lighter Creamy Garlic Pasta
Stephanie Cooks

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/2 pound angel hair
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced basil

Heat the oil, garlic, and butter in a large, deep skillet. Stir frequently. After 1-2 minutes add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, and milk. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the angel hair and allow it to cook according to packaging directions. Off heat, add the cheese, parsley and basil, stirring well. Serve immediately.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

So you may have realized we're trying to lose weight and be healthier overall. That can be very, very difficult when you love to eat. Thankfully a magazine like Cooking Light exists. A few months ago I won a subscription from my friend Heather over at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks and once the subscription runs out I'll definitely be renewing it on my own. What a fantastic magazine. The recipes are things I love to make but healthier, like this Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese. Bacon (and we aren't talking turkey bacon here) and creamy cheese sauce? Sign me up!


As soon as SP heard it was from Cooking Light he was skeptical, but after one bite he was hooked. I loved it as well, especially the subtle onion flavor from the scallions. The bacon added great flavor, but since you're only using two pieces it isn't overwhelming (or that unhealthy). I decided to cook the broccoli with the pasta instead of steaming it separately and even though I thought we had rigatoni in the pantry we didn't, so I subbed rotini. I was skeptical about this being enough food for 4 hungry people, but with a side salad it's a great meal. I reheated the leftovers the next day for lunch and the creaminess was lost, which can happen with stovetop mac and cheese.

I can't wait to make this again, and again, and again. Mac and cheese with less guilt? Yes, please!

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Slightly Modified from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
3 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces reduced-fat American cheese, cut into pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Add the broccoli 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain and keep warm.

Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Healthy Recipes

I know it's cliche to make one of your New Years resolutions to eat healthier meals, exercise more and just generally take better care of yourself. But let's be honest, those types of resolutions are popular for a good reason - they're important. Taking good care of our bodies is important, but that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice flavor when we cut calories. When I chose Healthy Recipes for the latest recipe swap it was my hope that it would provide others looking for healthy, flavorful meals a few new recipes for their arsenal.

Melissa's recipe for Chicken with Gruyere & Sage was more low-carb then low-fat, but still a delicious and easy dinner:


Jaida's Scallops with Asian Green Bean Salad was the perfect all-in-one meal, with great flavors:


Heather has been trying to eat healthier meals lately so she was excited to add Healthy Turkey Chili to her list of favorite chili recipes:


Nicole, who is a dietician, was skeptical of her recipe for Healthy Lasagna, but was converted after just one bite:


Jenna doesn't like bacon so she opted to turn her recipe into Chicken Fettuccine with Broccoli:


The Cookaholic Wife combined ground turkey and ground beef for her Asian Meatballs with Lime Dipping Sauce:


Leanne had never cooked spaghetti squash before, but she loves the sweet and savory flavors of Moroccan cooking so she couldn't wait to try Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash:


The Cooking Nurse loved the short-cut tip of buying coleslaw mix for her Crispy Baked Egg Rolls:


Ashley used fresh-caught pike her husband brought back from ice fishing for her Baked Pike with Moroccan Vinaigrette:


Mary Ellen had only used her crockpot once before, to warm meatballs for a party, so she was hesitant about her recipe for Crock Pot Asian Pulled Pork, but it ended up being a delicious and easy meal:


Melissa's Lemon Pepper Salmon was an easy, tasty way to prepare salmon:


Cathy was a bit skeptical of her Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies once she realized they didn't contain any sugar, but after one bite she realized they made the perfect breakfast snack:


Coleen and her husband absolutely loved Spicy Asian Chicken with Carrots and Brussels Sprouts, a recipe inspired by one of her (and the recipe submitters) favorite restaurants:


Lisa had been wanting to make this recipe for Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce, so she was thrilled when I submitted it for the swap. It didn't disappoint:


Turkey cutlets were a new thing for Jey, but her recipe for Turkey Cutlets with Parmesan Crust helped get her back to eating healthier:


Kristina isn't usually a fan of salads with fruit, but she enjoyed her Holiday Salad with Berry Vinaigrette:


I've realized that I'm not a big fan of salmon, but the sauce for my Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce was good and would work well with another type of fish:


Initially Melissa was hesitant to make her recipe for Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad, but she ended up really liking it: