This makes a nice side dish on its own, or with the addition of a protein source (fish, seafood, or chicken) it can be a flavorful main dish.

3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
3 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil into a food processor and process until smooth. While processor is on, add Olive Oil and blend until well mixed. Serve pesto tossed with hot, cooked pasta. I prefer Jerusalem artichoke or whole-wheat linguine or angel hair pasta; regular refined pasta is too high on the glycemic index.

Serves 6

Pasta Fagioli á la Sinatra

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
5 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons oregano (fresh if available)
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1 (15 ounce) can navy beans
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pound ditali pasta

In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook until tender. Reduce heat, and stir in tomato sauce, water, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, cannellini beans, navy beans, shiitake mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Salt and Pepper to taste. Simmer about 1 hour. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Stir into soup.

Makes 8 servings

Pasta á La Sinatra

1 pound Jerusalem artichoke or whole-wheat linguine or angel hair pasta
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup fresh asparagus spears, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped parsley

Steam the broccoli and asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes in a vegetable steamer. In a large skillet, gently sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add the zucchini, carrot, and tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. (You may add 3 to 4 Tbsp. water while sautéing, if necessary.) Add the broccoli and asparagus and sauté for 1 minute more. Drain pasta and mix with the sautéed vegetables. Gently toss with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Makes 3-4 servings

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 520
Calories from Fat 60
Total Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 370 mg
Carbohydrate 102 g
Dietary Fiber 19 g
Sugars 11 g
Protein 23 g

Penne with Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans

8 ounces whole wheat penne
1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed
2 tablespoons best quality olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
10–12 pitted ripe olives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt, to taste

Boil penne in plenty of lightly salted water, just until tender. Drain and return to pot. Cut white ribs out of chard and discard ribs. Coarsely chop chard. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add garlic, sautéing briefly until golden. Add chard to skillet and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. (Use tongs to move the chard around the skillet until it is uniformly wilted.) Add chard, beans, and olives to pasta and toss thoroughly. Season with pepper and salt, to taste.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 275
Carbohydrates 52 g
Fiber 9 g
Protein 14 g
Fat 3 g

Vitamin A: 118% DV
Vitamin C: 52% DV

IF Rating: +288 (moderately anti-inflammatory)

Serves 6

© 2006 Monica Reinagel

Spelt Pasta with Asparagus and Tomato

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 oz. asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
4 oz. spelt pasta, cooked according to package directions
6 basil leaves, slivered
Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Add garlic and asparagus and stir-fry until asparagus is tender. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Spoon mixture over pasta and garnish with basil and Parmesan.

Serves 2

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 320
Calories from Fat 90
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 125 mg
Total Carbohydrate 49 g
Dietary Fiber 7 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 13 g

Very Veggie Lasagna

This popular casserole can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to three days (or frozen) before baking.

9 oz. lasagna noodles (about 9)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans tomato puree
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
16 oz. low-fat ricotta cheese
1 10-oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed and pressed to remove liquid
12 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Boil noodles as directed (or use noodles that can be used without precooking). Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and cook until golden. Add tomatoes, carrots, and herbs and simmer 10 minutes. Mix ricotta, egg, and 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13x3 lasagna pan. Place a single layer of noodles over sauce. Spread with half the ricotta mixture and one-third of the mozzarella. Mix spinach into remaining ricotta cheese. Build another layer, using 1 1/2 cup sauce, 3 noodles, the remaining spinach and ricotta mixture, and half of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Finish with a final layer of noodles, sauce, and the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake, covered with foil, at 375 degrees until bubbly, 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 320
Fat 17 g
Carbohydrates 37 g
Protein 21 g
IF Rating: 120 (moderately anti-inflammatory)

© 2006 Monica Reinagel

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Eggplant Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 cups cubed black eggplant
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. sherry or red wine vinegar
2 8-oz. cans unsalted tomato sauce
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. dried currants
Red pepper flakes to taste
8 oz. whole-wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix 1 Tbsp. olive oil with the eggplant. Place on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until golden brown. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic until golden. Add sherry or vinegar, eggplant, tomato sauce, basil, parsley, honey, currants, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories: 370
Calories from Fat: 90
Total Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 140mg
Total Carbohydrate: 62g
Dietary Fiber: 9g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 14g