Easy Meal Ideas: You could add meat ... or not

This email was sent to you by tampabay.com. To ensure delivery to your inbox please add easymealideas@tampabay.com to your address book. Easy Meal Ideas From Janet's Kitchen    Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe          and White Beans There are three things I really like about this recipe: pasta, broccoli rabe and white beans. Oh, and it's easy and meatless. Five things. Broccoli rabe is a bitter Italian green but the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar tames the bite a bit. You could sub broccoli but that's a different thing altogether. The rabe greens are what make this so tasty. If you want to substitute something, go for kale or broccolini. Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe and White Beans 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 1 bunch (1 1/4 pounds) broccoli rabe, tough ends trimmed, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain the spaghetti and return to the cooking pot. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the broccoli rabe and broth. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the broccoli rabe has darkened in color. Stir in the beans and vinegar, and cook to heat through. Pour the broccoli rabe mixture over the cooked spaghetti, and toss to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cheese and toss well. Garnish each portion with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese. Serves 4. Nutritional information per serving: 370 calories, 6 gm fat, 64 gm carbohydrates, 11 gm fiber, 18 gm protein, 510 mg sodium. Source: 400 Calorie Fix Cookbook by Liz Vaccariello (Rodale, 2011)   More recipes and food stories at tampabay.com            Tip of the day. Consider adding additional egg whites to omelets and frittatas to increase portion size without adding a lot of additional calories. It's the yolks, you know, that have most of the calories -- and some might say flavor!       On Sale This Week. Got a deal? To have your deal featured in tampabay.com's Easy Meals newsletter, contact Maryann Balbo at mbalbo@sptimes.com or call 727-892-2237.   Janet K. Keeler, who cooks in a kitchen she hates for a job she loves, was named food editor at the St. Petersburg Times in 2000. Since that time, Taste has twice won best food section honors from the Association of Food Journalists. In addition to writing about food, she is the paper's lifestyle editor, overseeing travel and homes coverage.   For more, go to: http://www.tampabay.com Unsubscribe from this newsletter or manage other newsletter subscriptions at tampabay.com ©2009 • St. Petersburg Times, 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact Us | Join Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to the St. Petersburg Times Privacy Policy | Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright