pasta with asparagus, pancetta and pine nuts

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so good!

seriously.  we had this last night for dinner.  jake took it for lunch today and when he got home he told me to put it on the "keeper" list.  the kids gobbled it up too.  i have proof but i'll spare you gavin's "seefood."

it's quite a change for me to eat all of this pasta.  i am so used to counting carbs.  after i had cayden, i joined LA weight loss and they teach you to count your food groups; two meats, two carbs, three veggies etc.  it works for some people but i've found that learning about food and nutrition is a lot more effective for me to lose weight and keep it off. however, the two carb rule a day stuck with me.  if i had toast for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, i wouldn't eat carbs at dinner.  you get the idea.

anyway, since i've started running so much and reading so much about running, i'm learning how important carbs are for fueling our bodies.  especially when we're using our bodies.

recently i complimented someone on their weight loss.  their response; "i've just cut out the carbs." cringe.  good luck with that.  protein only diets are not healthy. look it up.

i have a point.  my point is we've been eating a lot of carbs for dinner.  it's new territory but we're getting used to it.  maybe a little too used to it!  this dish was absolutely delicious.  check it out.

pasta with asparagus, pancetta and pine nuts
{i doubled this recipe}

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked cavatappi pasta
• 1  pound  asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  pine nuts
• 2  ounces  diced pancetta
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.

5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.

6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Kitchen Notes

Pine nuts are particularly delicious in this dish, but walnuts would also be tasty.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

385

Fat:

14.3g (sat 3.9g,mono 5.2g,poly 2.8g)

Protein:

14.9g

Carbohydrate:

47.2g

Fiber:

3.6g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

3.6mg

Sodium:

584mg

Calcium:

113mg

my dish:

YUM!