I sometimes sneak “meat-less” Mondays into the Rebecca Lane household menu. I am not trying to convert myself or anyone else into VEGETARIANISM but with encouragement from nutritionists and doctors, more of us are choosing to serve meatless meals more often. That's just good for our health and great news for the planet. Here is an easy and quick recipe to help you explore the possibilities.
Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil, and Crisp Bread CrumbsServes 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup very coarse fresh bread crumbs, for garnish
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved*
2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved*
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish
1 cup very coarse fresh bread crumbs, for garnish
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved*
2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved*
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish
shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Place the bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss the bread crumbs to distribute the oil evenly. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Bake in the middle of the oven, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and the balsamic vinegar to make vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stir together. Set aside.
4. Fill a large pot three-quarters full with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the basil and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.
2. Place the bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss the bread crumbs to distribute the oil evenly. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Bake in the middle of the oven, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and the balsamic vinegar to make vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stir together. Set aside.
4. Fill a large pot three-quarters full with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the basil and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.
*NOTE: If you can't find yellow cherry tomatoes this time of year, look for late harvested heirlooms or good old Roma tomatoes.
You're absolutely right Stacy, going meatless every once in awhile is greatly beneficial to your health. I work for a campaign called Meatless Monday and we advocate cutting back on meat one day a week to reduce your saturated fat consumption by 15%. This greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke - four of the leading causes of death in the U.S. If you're interested in some more meatless recipes be sure to visit our website - www.meatlessmonday.com/recipearchive.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - that's a great recipe you have posted. I don't know if you're a fan of goat cheese at all but I tried something similar to your recipe and adding goat cheese made it even better (you can add crumbles or melt the cheese and make a creamy pasta).