Zucchini and Feta Penne

 Zucchini is just one of those things I always have in my vegetable drawer. I pick one up at the store for less than a dollar, and the thing lasts me several meals. I like adding it to food because it is a substantial vegetable (unlike the leafy veggies) and can hold its own in soup, stir fry, and pasta dishes.

I had a container of crumbled feta cheese in the fridge, and before i end up eating the whole thing straight out of the container (cheese is a HUGE weakness for me), i decided to incorporate it into a quick dish for lunch.

Ingredients (for one serving):
-2 oz (1/8 of box) of whole grain penne
-1/2 cup chopped zucchini
-2 tbsp feta cheese
-1/4 cup chopped onions
-1/4 cup chopped green peppers
salt and pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

1.  Boil some whole grain penne.  Salt the water!

2.  Get yo self some chopped zucchini. You can chop them all up like this as soon as you bring home the zucchini from the store, and just use some throughout the week.

3. Scoop up some feta cheese and set aside. Mmm. It's okay to eat a cube or two.

 

 

4. Chop up some onions and green peppers.  I usually chop them all in one sitting and put them in small containers (you know, the kind you get from olive bars and take out food) and save them for later use.

5.  Stir fry the zucchini, onions, and green peppers in a decent-sized pan that has high walls.  These tend to zip straight out of the pan otherwise.

6.  Once the pasta is done cooking, take a slotted spoon and transfer the hot penne into the stir fry pan.  It's okay if some of the starchy cooking water goes in there, it's actually a very happy thing to happen.

7.  Now go ahead and season it with the S&P, garlic and onion powders.  Remove from heat and serve in a bowl.

8.  Now, top it with that feta cheese.  The hot pasta and zucchini will make the feta kinda get wobbly and melty.  Oh my.

 

It is so fantastically filling and savory!  And only 265 calories!  Yes, an 1/8 of a cup of feta, which is all you really need, is just 40 calories. 

The mealy zucchini on that hearty whole grain pasta, topped with mouthwatering feta cheese...it's enough to knock your little socks off.

And because it never hurts to have a little zesty citrus with pasta, here i go with a quick squeeze of fresh lemon.

For me, I am such a pasta lover that i could never cut it out of my diet, no matter how "bad" it is for you.  That's why i come up with these healthy alternatives that make it totally okay for you to eat it.

 

Bon appetit, friends!  And leave me some comments and suggestions!