Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds

Ingredients:

• 2  cups  cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2  tablespoons  minced shallots
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh thyme
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  sugar
• 5  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1  (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic
• 3  cups  chopped zucchini (about 1 pound)
• 3/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh mint, divided
• 1/3  cup  (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 3  tablespoons  sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil, tossing to coat.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add zucchini; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Stir in pasta and 1 1/2 tablespoons mint; toss well. Remove from heat; stir in tomato mixture. Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 bowls; top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons mint. Sprinkle each serving with 4 teaspoons cheese and 2 teaspoons almonds.
Olive tapenade breadsticks: Combine 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 15 finely chopped pitted kalamata olives in a small bowl. Spread olive mixture over 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated breadsticks dough. Twist each breadstick; bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 344

Fat: 12.7g (sat 3.1g,mono 6.6g,poly 2g)

Protein: 14g

Carbohydrate: 45.5g

Fiber: 5.3g

Cholesterol: 58mg

Iron: 3.4mg

Sodium: 601mg

Calcium: 163mg

 

Recipe from Cooking Light