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Vermicelli with asparagus and tomatoes

August 2, 2022

Recipe

Vermicelli is delicate pasta. Here it's combined with fresh vegetables, Parmesan, herbs and extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves 2

Olive oil used in place of other fats can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing your blood cholesterol level.

To make this plant based, leave out cheese.

Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil to a skillet. Saute asparagus over medium-high heat until lightly browned and tender-crisp. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender (al dente), 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.

Put the pasta into a large bowl. Drizzle the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over the pasta and toss gently. Add the tomato, garlic, basil, asparagus, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Toss to mix evenly.

Divide the pasta between individual plates. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan and black pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 asparagus spears
4 ounces dried whole-grain vermicelli
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

DASH Eating Plan Servings

1/2 Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) 1 Fats and oils Fruits 3 Grains and grain products Meats, poultry and fish Nuts, seeds and dry beans Sweets 1 Vegetables

Diabetes Meal Plan Choices

2 Fats Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) Fruits Meat and meat substitutes Milk and milk products 1 Nonstarchy vegetables 3 Starches Sweets, desserts and other carbohydrates

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings

3 Carbohydrates 2 Fats Fruits Protein and dairy Sweets 1 Vegetables

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calcium 325 Calories 48 g Total carbohydrate 9 mg Cholesterol 8 g Dietary fiber 4 g Monounsaturated fat Potassium 13 g Protein 2 g Saturated fat About 1 cup pasta with vegetables Serving size 160 mg Sodium 9 g Total fat