Pasta Puttanesca

What a great meatless meal. The first time I made this was last night and both Vic and I really liked it. It has a very nice flavor and pairing with a salad or a nice veggie makes for a great dinner.

Pasta Puttanesca
Serves: 4
Points: 7 **(See Note below)

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
8 Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup canned tomato paste
1 Tbsp capers
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup full-moisture grated romano (or asiago) cheese
1/4 cup basil, sliced

Instructions

1) Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1 Tbsp pasta water.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, olives, tomato paste, capers, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered, 15 minutes or until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally.

3) Combine pasta, sauce and reserved 1 Tbsp pasta water. Top with cheese & basil.

** Note, if you skip the cheese, its 6 points per serving. Skip the cheese AND use whole wheat pasta, and it drops to 5 points. This is the way I made it (although Vic added cheese to his serving) and it was great!