Addi will be ten months in a couple weeks. Ten months! Not only does that mean she is getting closer to the year mark {heaven help my mama heart}, but that also means that I can’t keep riding the I-look-like-this-because-I-just-had-a-baby bandwagon. Heck, just this last weekend, I was shopping at Express and when the fitting room worker asked me what size pants I needed, I told her that I wasn’t really sure. Then, I pointed to Adelaide and said, “I just had a baby, so it’s been a while since I’ve been pants shopping. Haha!” When in all reality, I’ve had the green light to work hard and get back into shape for almost 8 months now, I’ve just been lacking the motivation.
The point of this little story is that I am trying to find ways to slim down. I’ve been working out 5-6 days a week, but if we’re being honest here – working out plays a small fraction into the whole losing weight thing. What you eat makes all the difference! Which is why you’ll probably be seeing a few “skinny” recipes on this ol’ blog in the coming weeks. Starting with this Skinny Asparagus and Alfredo Pasta Bake. There are only 400 calories per serving {if you serve 8 servings}, but let me tell you – it definitely tastes like there should be more. I’m one that doesn’t like to eat healthy if it tastes healthy, so don’t be scared off by the idea of healthy recipes here! These have been tried and tested by us, so I can swear to you that you’re not giving up the flavor in these recipes!
Skinny Asparagus and Alfredo Pasta Bake
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 {16 oz.} box bow tie pasta
- 1/2 lb. asaparagus, cut into 1-inch bits
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups skim milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus and let cook as well. Drain and toss to fully mix the pasta and asparagus and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large frying pan or sauce pan, heat oil. Once hot, add garlic and let cook for about a minute.
- Add in the milk, chicken broth, flour, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until sauce thickens; About ten minutes. {To make this go by quicker, crank up the heat, but make sure to keep a close eye on it because milk burns super easy!}
- Once sauce has thickened, add the parmesan and mix until combined.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and asparagus and mix until fully coated.
- Top with the bread crumbs and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the crumbs have lightly browned.
Let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your feedback. 🙂
-Sarah
How many points for this?