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Pasta FlorenLEAN

During the cold winter months who doesn't occasionally crave a bowl of steaming pasta with a rich creamy sauce? (Unless you're Adam, but he's weird)

But the nutrition and health experts recommend that adults avoid creamy sauces since they are filled with saturated fat and excess calories. So here is a good compromise. A low-fat, low-cal sauce that's high in calcium, protein, iron, B-12 and many other nutritional goodies, but still creamy and comforting.

2 cups non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup milk
2 tbls nutritional yeast
2 tbls grated parmesan cheese, low-fat or regular
300g frozen chopped spinach, thawed or fresh baby spinach
A few handfuls fresh herbs (optional)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

If using fresh spinach, throw everything into blender and puree until smooth. If using frozen, chopped spinach, add spinach after the rest of the ingredients are blended. Cheese sauce will be green if you use fresh spinach and add to blender, use frozen and add at the end if you don't want the spinach to be completely blended into sauce.

Optional add-ins to pasta dish: sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, chopped roasted or grilled chicken, green onions, mushrooms.

Makes enough for about 1 lb of pasta.

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