SKINNY PASTA PARMIGIANO with ASPARAGUS AND CUPCAKES

Dinner tonight was great! I found this recipe on line and thought I would give it a try.

It is a simple pasta dish that has tons of asparagus, which is one of my favorite vegetables. If you don't care for them, I think this dish would work with just about any other vegetable too.



This serves four people so my sister and I had it tonight and we have enough left over for tomorrows dinner too.

There are only 227 calories and only 6 weight watcher points. It would be great with a salad and a slice of bread if you wanted.

Here is the recipe for those who want to give it a try.

1 lb. asparagus
6 oz. uncooked pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 gloves of crushed garlic (this is to taste, use more or less as desired)
1 large egg yolk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook asparagus in boiling water for 3-5 mins. or until tender but still crisp. Drain asparagus but reserve 1 cup of liquid for later use.

Cook pasta per directions on package.

Saute olive oil and garlic then add asparagus. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Tossing asparagus with oil and garlic.

In small bowl add egg yolk, parmigiano cheese and about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the asparagus liquid. Mix well. After pasta is cooked and drain, return to pot and mix with egg mixture. Cook on medium heat about 2 mins. Sauce will start to thicken and stick to pasta. Add asparagus, garlic and oil. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. If pasta seems to dry, add a little bit more of the asparagus liquid.

Garnish with a little bit of grated cheese.

Since I still had plenty of points left over today, I thought I would try out a cupcake recipe too.

This is a Pineapple/coconut cupcake that is only 3 points if you eat it alone and 4 points if you add the frosting.

Talk about a simple recipe! It's only one box of yellow cake mix and one 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple with juice.

Mix both together with mixer. Do not add the egg or oil or water that is listed on the cake mix box.

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. Will fill 24 liners. If you have less, take some out or you will have to count them as more points.

Cook per cake mix directions.

You can see the chunks of pineapple when they are baked. They smell wonderful!

For the frosting you will need:

8 oz. package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese. DO NOT get the fat free kind.
1 cup of sweetened coconut
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple well drained
1/4 of a cup of sugar.

Mix all ingredients in mixer. Will look lumpy and almost like cottage cheese.

Chill in refrigerator. Then frost cupcakes.

Enjoy! These are good! However, I'm not sure if I would bother with the frosting. I like them plain. Perhaps add the coconut into the cupcake batter would be better.

I hope you will give these recipes a try. I know both are going in my recipe book to keep.