hi, i need help trying to renovate this recipe so its less fattening. any suggestions? I really want to try it out
8 oz. shells (cook according to pkg. directions)
1/4 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1/2 c. light cream
Saute garlic in butter. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add cream and stir constantly until blended and smooth. Add drained shells and mix to coat
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A couple things that would help would be to substitute the butter for a margarine or Smart Balance and substitute the grated Parmesan cheese with a light Parmesan cheese.
I know on the Food Channel there is a show called "Calorie Commando." The host lost a lot of weight and shows everyone how to make a healthy alternate out of a high calorie favorite. I can't remember offhand, but I know he made a macaroni and cheese and he substituted a couple kinds of cheese for the high fat cheese. You might want to substitute the parmesan for a couple of other similar type cheeses, one being fat-free and the other being light because you want it to be somewhat creamy.
Other than that, I would say use whole grain shells too.
These would be my suggestions for a healthier alternative. Also, my guess is it would taste better, too (especially with the shrimp, sundried tomatos and spinach).
8 oz. fresh, whole wheat pasta (tastier than dried and better for you)
1 tbsp olive oil (more flavour, fewer calories, healthy oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. freshly grated real Parmesan cheese (Asiago will do nicely, too)
1/4 tsp. sea salt (better flavour)
Fresh, grated pepper (better flavour)
1/2 c. non fat, evaporated milk (creamy, no fat, healthier alternative)
Saute garlic in olive oil. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add evaporated milk and stir constantly until blended and smooth. Toss pasta in sauce, top with 1 tbsp grated parmesan and serve.
Might I also suggest adding in shrimp three minutes before you take the sauce off of the stove, to give yourself some protein? Also, shrimp? Yummy! If you wanted to get extra creative, you could also add some diced sundried tomatos (you'd include them when you're doing the garlic).
Calories (based on if the whole recipe serves four):
Pasta: 270 (same as original but whole grain)
Olive Oil: 30 (-100 from original)
Evaporated Milk: 25 (-35)
Parmesan: 100 (same)
Total: 455
Adding 3 ounces shrimp/person: 90
Adding sundried tomatos (1 per person):Add 10
Total calories with additions: 555.
You could also add in spinach (include it when you add the shrimp), as well, which would make it mighty tasty and give you a bit of veggie goodness. Fresh is best but frozen would do well, too. It would also make it so pretty.
Okay, I'm going to need to make this, now...
Last edited by TheBumbler; 02-28-2006 at 06:29 PM.
Original Recipe
8 oz. shells (cook according to pkg. directions)
1/4 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1/2 c. light cream
Nutrition Information--Total Recipe
Calories: 1868
Total Fat: 97 g (59 g Saturated)
Cholesterol: 277 mg
Sodium: 2470 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 178g (7 g fiber)
Protein: 70 g
Lite Version
8 oz Whole Wheat Shells
1 T Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 t Salt
Dash Pepper
1 C Fat-free Parmesan Cheese Topping
1/2 C Skim Milk
1/4 C Dried Skim Milk
Mix dried milk and skim milk and heat, add parm to milks. Sautee minced garlic in olive oil and add to milks. Toss in cooked shells and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts--Total Recipe:
Calories: 1447
Fat: 22 g (6g Saturated)
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 1973 mg
Total Carbs: 235 g (19 g Fiber)
Protein: 89 g
So you'll lose 421 calories, 75 grams of fat, 53 grams of saturated fat, 249 mg cholesterol and 497 mg sodium by going with my lite version. You'll gain 12 g of fiber and 19 g protein by going with my lite version.
Gimme your bad recipes! I'd love to make 'em over!
I could give you a nutritionally dense version if you like (spaghetti squash, nuts, herbs).
i was thinking of adding in chunks of chicken breast. I love chicken in garlic sauce. i was thinking olive oil isntead of butter and some kind of fat free stuff other than cream, just wasn't sure what kind. thanks a ton!
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I would probably take out the butter and cream altogether and just use olive oil instead. You wouldn't have the nice creamy sauce, but I think it would still taste good.
thank you all very much ladies. i want to keep the creamy texture because i like the roasted garlic parmesan sauce that is made by Ragu's cheese creations. and i like to use that with chicken breast cut up into chunks over pasta, and my friends like it as well. so i was thikning of learning how to make it from scratch which would already be healthier than the jarred version, but also low fat, butnot low in taste. : )
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I like the PP suggestion of substituting evaporated milk for the cream. I've done that in recipes and it really works. You'd still have somewhat of a creamy texture, but with less fat. You can omit the butter altogether, or leave in a TBSP for flavor. Also -- I would prepare the dish with chicken, omitting the parmesan cheese. Then when you're ready to serve, I would grate some parmesano reggiano over the top and put it under the broiler to melt the cheese and/or brown it a little. That way you get the parmesan flavor (and the reggiano will really POP with flavor), without all the calories from the full cup of cheese.
I bet that it would be good tossed on some veggies instead of pasta too. Or maybe use half the amount of pasta and maybe add some green beans? I would stick to olive oil, most margarines have a ton of trans fat.
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please renovate, need help 
