Simple Summertime Pasta

Serves 6
By Marilyn Harris

As the summer heats up it's nice to have lighter sauces for your pasta. The cherry tomatoes, red onion and basil in this sauce are bold and flavorful and a nice addition to your summer menu.

Ingredients:

16 ounces Dreamfields Penne Rigate or Elbows (one box) 1 large sweet salad onion 2 pints ripe cherry or grape tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 cup fresh basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper, or to taste 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Salt, to taste Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, place the onion, washed tomatoes, garlic and basil in a food processor. Rapidly pulse on and off until the mixture is chopped. Pour into a large serving bowl and add the crushed pepper, olive oil and parsley.
3. Drain the pasta and immediately add to the bowl. Toss well.
4. Serve immediately topped with the cheese.

Nutritionals per serving:
DIGESTIBLE CARBOHYDRATES: 11 g
CALORIES: 346
CALORIES FROM FAT: 140
TOTAL FAT: 7 g
PROTEIN: 12 g
CHOLESTEROL: 4 mg
SODIUM: 442 mg