Stretching the Cheese

It’s easy to make a pasta dish that’s low in fat, but a really good pasta is something different. It can be hard to get a full, satisfying flavor without a lot of cheese.

In this recipe, bread crumbs provide mouth-filling flavor as well as crunch. They also let you stretch a little bit of cheese a long way.

This is actually an old Southern Italian trick that is twisted just a bit to fit Southern California tastes. Here, we combine pasta with asparagus and tiny plum tomatoes (you can use any kind of cherry tomato) that are cooked just until they pop and the juices begin to run.

When shopping for asparagus, choose firm, bright green stalks with tight tips. In the kitchen, save the tips and add them at the end of cooking so they will not be mushy.

Asparagus and Penne

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes * Vegetarian

3/4 pound asparagus

2 cloves garlic, minced

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound tiny plum tomatoes

1/4 pound penne, cooked and drained

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 cup toasted fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon parsley

* Break or cut tough ends from asparagus. Cut off asparagus tips and set aside. Cut stalks crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve.

* Saute garlic in wok sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and saute 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Add cut-up asparagus stalks. Cover and continue cooking over low heat until tomatoes begin to collapse and juices come out, about 5 minutes. Add reserved asparagus tips during last 2 minutes of cooking. Toss penne with sauce.

* Combine Parmigiano-Reggiano, bread crumbs and parsley. Divide pasta between 2 plates and top with bread-crumb mixture.

2 servings. Each serving: 362 calories; 284 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 2.96 grams fiber.

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Napkin and plate from Sur La Table stores.