Description
At the end of a long day, sometimes cooking up a quick pot of pasta doesn’t seem speedy enough—and a packaged frozen entrée doesn’t sound appealing enough. That’s where this fast make-ahead fusilli pasta bowl fix comes in.
It’s my go-to pasta bowl of the moment. I pair whole grain fusilli with a good-quality marinara sauce, plus some of my favorite ingredients: baby arugula, goat cheese, pistachios, and lemon zest. Yum!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dry whole grain fusilli pasta
- 1 cup good-quality marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby arugula
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese or soft cashew cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup salted roasted shelled pistachios
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water until al dente. (Or save energy and “lid cook” it like this: Bring water to a boil, stir in the pasta, bring back to boil, add lid, remove from heat, and let cook without heat for the same time suggested on the package.)
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss together the pasta, marinara sauce, lemon zest, and the reserved cooking liquid. Divide among 4 freezer- and microwave-safe bowls (2-cup capacity). Top with the arugula, goat cheese, and pistachios. Cover tightly and freeze.
- To prepare one bowl: Remove lid or other cover, loosely cover with unbleached parchment paper or paper towel, and microwave on HI for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for 1 minute, or until fully heated. (Note: Microwave cooking times vary.)
- Sprinkle with additional fresh grated lemon zest, if desired, and enjoy. If you like, serve the pasta bowl with a side salad or seasonal fruit.
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g includes 0g added sugars
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 15mg