Vegetarian Pasta in a Light Cream Sauce

I love pasta in cream sauce. Mmm… it’s so wonderful. But it’s usually pretty heavy, right? Well, not this one. I have amazing recipe for pasta in a cream sauce with vegetables that will blow your mind. It’s also simple to prepare, so you save time and energy. Try it tonight – you’ll love it.

1 Medium yellow onion

½ cup red bell pepper (I sometimes add more, depending on my preference that day)

1 tsp minced garlic

2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

12 oz pasta (I recommend Barilla Plus). Also, the amount of pasta depends on your preference when it comes to pasta-to-sauce ratio

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup reduced fat milk

1 ½ cups fat free half and half

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning

¼ tsp salt

14.5-oz can Italian diced tomatoes, drained

1. Sautee the onion, red pepper, minced garlic, and olive oil together over medium heat, cooking until soft.
2. Boil pasta while the veggies are cooking.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and the half and half slowly, whisking for consistency.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir for two minutes, until sauce thickens.
5. Reduce heat. Add the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt.
6. Add the diced tomatoes, then add the cooked veggies.
7. Stir together, and add the pasta.

Serve with a Caesar salad and bread. Enjoy!

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