photo credit: blue kitchen

Light and delicious, this Homemade Tomato and Basil sauce Recipe is the perfect summer dish! Use it to top low calorie pasta or grilled chicken breasts for a tasty, weight watchers friendly meal. And with a 0 Point Total per serving, you can enjoy this Italian sauce recipe without worrying about using up too many Weight Watchers Points. It’s super easy to make and tastes wonderfully fresh! If you are looking for an easy, no-cook sauce recipe that the whole family will enjoy, this one will definitely take the cake. Enjoy!

Homemade Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
- 4 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large glass mixing bowl, combine all ingredients; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Entire Recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is ½ cup
Each serving = 0 Point Total

photo credit: dinnercakes

As a Weight Watcher, I assumed my days of regular pasta eating were behind me, but this low calorie Baked Ziti Recipe has given me a way to enjoy a much beloved Italian dish, without sacrificing too many of my Weight Watchers points. Simply by subbing out a few of the higher calorie ingredients for lower calorie versions, I was able to make this baked ziti pasta with just a 5 Point Total per serving, yet maintain it’s fabulous taste. And though this is not an official one of Weight Watchers Pasta Recipes, anyone who is looking for a lower point version of Baked Ziti with Ground Beef, will love this recipe!

Baked Ziti Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
- 12 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta (I used the penne noodles)
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef (96/4)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add onions and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
Add the oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked pasta. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining pasta and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces.

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 1 piece
Each serving = 5 Point Total

Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I decided to put a weight watchers spin on one of his yummy and healthy spaghetti recipes. It turned out delicious! My family gobbled it down and had no idea that they were eating something so good for them. With just a 4 Point Total per serving, this classic spaghetti recipe gets a healthy makeover and is sure to be a hit with the whole family. It’s a really easy recipe that I was able to slim down pretty easily without sacrificing any taste. One of my secret weapons is the pasta noodles. A while back I blogged about Ronzoni’s Smart Taste Pasta. I really love this stuff, and so does my family. It allows me the luxury to eat low Points pasta that actually tastes amazingly good and just like good ol’ carb heavy white pasta. It’s loaded with fiber and calcium and has just a 3 Point Total per serving! Good for me and good for my family. If you haven’t tried this pasta yet, get your butts to the grocery store and pick some up ASAP! Put it to use in this low points spaghetti recipe and enjoy!

Thanks Jamie Oliver!!

Jamie Oliver’s Classic Spaghetti Recipe

Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 fresh red chile
- a small bunch of fresh basil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

Directions:
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions.
Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add olive oil.
Add the garlic, chile, and basil stalks and give them a stir.
When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and the canned tomatoes. Turn the heat up high and stir for a minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
TO SERVE YOUR PASTA: Divide the pasta between your bowls. Roughly tear over the remaining basil leaves.
OPTIONAL (THIS CAN BE ADDED TO YOUR TOMATO SAUCE WHEN IT’S FINISHED. JUST STIR IN AND WARM THROUGH): Add a handful of baby spinach leaves to the sauce at the same time that you add the pasta — when the leaves have wilted remove from the heat and serve with ½ oz crumbled goat’s cheese on top (this addition of goat cheese adds 1 extra Point Total).

Entire recipe makes 7 servings
Each serving = 4 Point Total

Are you inspired by Jamie Oliver too? If so, check out his book! It’s a must read!

photo credit: the daily green

As many of you know, I’ve always been a fan of Miracle Noodles. They are a 0 calorie pasta that are so versatile, they can be used in a variety of low calorie recipes. Recently, Rachael Ray prepared a fabulous Hot or Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe using Miracle Noodles, and it is truly an awesome dish. Traditional noodle recipes can rack up a LOT of calories and Weight Watchers Points. However, this slimmed down version, has just a 6 Point Total per serving, and the serving is HUGE!!! It’s half of the entire recipe!! And though this is not an official one of Rachael Ray Weight Watchers Recipes, it’s a great alternative dish that any dieter will appreciate. Sesame noodles are one of my favorite Asian Recipes, but I usually avoided them because of the calorie count. But now with this awesome Rachael Ray recipe, I can enjoy them once again!

Hot or Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 or 2 7oz. bags of Miracle Noodles (the less noodles you use, the more the sauce is distributed, and the more flavorful the noodles are)
- 1/4 cup Kikkoman – Tamari Soy Sauce
- 1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
- 2 tbsp cider or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:
Open bag of Miracle Noodles into a colander and rinse with warm water for a couple of minutes and boil for one minute, pat dry with a paper towel or small hand towel. Cut noodles with scissors to make smaller pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce.
Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Or you can heat the sauce for a couple of minutes in a sauce pan, then add noodles and serve hot! It’s makes great leftovers the next day!!

Entire Recipe makes 2 servings
Each serving = 6 Point Total

P.S. If you are interested in seeing the Rachael Ray Clip with Rocco DiSpirito and Miracle Noodles it is here

This Greek-Style Pasta Casserole Recipe is truly a unique and flavorful dish. I love almost all Mediterranean recipes, so I was excited to give this one a try. And I was NOT disappointed. It’s a pretty easy dish to prepare, and it packs a lot of flavor. With each serving only having a 3 Point Total, this is a wonderful low point dinner recipe that the whole family will enjoy. It’s also a great , original dish to take to a potluck as well. If you like mediterranean flavors, you’ll like this casserole…it was delicious. You can also add in some toasted almond slivers for added crunch, but make sure to factor that in to the Point Total. Though this is not an official one of Weight Watchers Recipes, it’s a great meal that just about any dieter will enjoy. You can also prepare this dish cold as a great greek pasta salad recipe!

Greek Pasta Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
- 8 oz dried, low calorie pasta like Ronzoni Smart Taste, penne or rotioni
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and sliced into small pieces
- 3 handfuls spinach, chopped
- 2 cups fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 large Kalamata olives, pitted and torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- zest of one large lemon
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8×12-inch baking dish with non-fat cooking spray. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta until al dente. 10 seconds before the pasta is cooked, stir in the spinach and butternut squash; drain quickly and carefully. Run cold water over the pasta, squash and spinach (just enough to stop it from cooking), shake off any extra water and set aside. While waiting for the pasta water to boil, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, garlic, pepper and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until the pasta is ready, then add the pasta-squash-spinach mixture to the yogurt mixture. Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with Feta cheese and the olive pieces and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve sprinkled with some chopped fresh mint.

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1/8th of dish
Each serving size = 3 Point Total

I can never get enough pasta. But being a Weight Watcher, I have to find ways to create healthier, low-Point pasta recipes that will taste good and satisfy my carb cravings, but that will also keep me on track of my Weight Watchers program. One of my favorite food products to use when I cook is the Miracle Noodles. I’ve blogged about them many times before, but now I’ve got another super delicious low calorie recipe to share using these 0 Point pasta noodles. This pasta with mushrooms and garlic recipe is fast and easy and can be ready in 15 minutes. It’s the perfect healthy pasta recipe to serve up in a pinch. For this dish, I used their 0 calorie fettucini noodles, but you can use any shape of pasta that you want. You can also used Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta instead, if you prefer, for an additional Point Value (see recipe note).

Light Pasta with Mushrooms and Garlic Recipe

Ingredients:
- 12 oz portabello mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 8.7 oz packages Miracle Noodle Fettucini Noodles
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:
Rinse pasta VERY WELL in strainer. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling, and then drain and dry well.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté about 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook another 3 minutes.

NOTE: You can also cook this with 8 oz (uncooked) Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta, but that will make each serving a Point Total of 5

Entire Recipe makes 4 servings
Each serving = 2 Point Total

Parsley and Lemon Zest Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 packs Miracle Noodle Mini-Pearls
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. coarse (kosher) salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Grated zest from 2 lemons
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

** You can add more salt and pepper to suit your taste
** Feel free to throw in some other 0 point veggies to jazz it up. I loved it with tomatoes added!

Currently, Miracle Noodles can only be purchased online. CLICK HERE TO BUY MIRACLE NOODLES!!

Directions:
Drain and rinse the pearls well; transfer to a serving bowl. Add oil and remaining ingredients;
toss to combine flavors. Spoon 1 cup onto each of 4 dinner plates and top with the Weight Watchers chicken recipe or Weight Watchers fish recipe of your choice.

Entire Recipe makes 4 servings
Serving Size is 1 cup
Each serving = 0 point value

*This is not an official Weight Watchers Side Dish Recipe or a Weight Watchers Pasta Recipe.

I know I’ve talked about this yummy, 0 calorie pasta before, but I love it so much, I just can’t help talking about it!! These zero calorie, zero Points noodles are made by Miracle Noodle and can be ordered online in a variety of shapes like rigatoni, orzo, mini-pears, spaghetti, fettucini and more! So today I want to share a super delicious spaghetti recipe made with Miracle Noodles that has just 2 Weight Watchers Points per serving!! Not only is this pasta recipe delicious and low in calories, but it’s healthy too! Loaded with fiber and made with fresh ingredients, this Italian favorite packs in lots of Vitamin C and antioxidants too. And again, we are talking about a 2 Point Pasta Recipe here, people!! This is a MUST try!!! You’ll love it!

Low Calorie Garlic and Tomatoes Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
- 3 packs Miracle Noodle Spaghetti
- olive oil non fat cooking spray
- 8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced fine.
- Kosher salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
**Optional: Add a tsp of fresh grated Parmesan cheese to each serving for 1 additional Weight Watcher Point

ORDER MIRACLE NOODLE TODAY by clicking HERE!!!!

Directions:
Spray a large skillet with the olive oil spray and heat at low to medium temperature. Add the garlic and gently roast on low to medium heat, be very careful not to brown garlic. This should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the basil, tomato, salt and pepper. Now add the wine raising the heat slightly and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock and cook until sauce reduces to a gravy-like consistency, raising the heat again if necessary. At this point reduce heat to low. Drain and rinse pasta, toss in sauce and serve.

Entire recipe makes 3 servings
Serving size is 1/3rd of recipe
Each serving = 2 Weight Watchers Points

This Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Recipe puts a new twist on a favorite Italian dish. Traditional lasagna recipes can be a weighty issue – loaded with fat and calories. But this Weight Watchers Recipe offers a healthier, new version that tastes fantastic but has a lot less calories and fat and has just 5 Weight Watchers Points per serving. Plus, the vegetables provide tons of fiber and antioxidants, and help keep the Points value low, while still making the serving a good sized portion. If you want to try a healthy lasagna recipe that is so yummy, the whole family will enjoy it, then this Weight Watchers Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Recipe is the one to try!

Weight Watchers Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:
- 3 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
- 4 small tomatoes, plum, seeded and chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp table salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
- 9 servings dry lasagna noodles, 9 noodles, cooked and drained
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In roasting pan, combine vegetables and garlic with olive oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Place half of vegetables, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup water in food processor and process until smooth.
Spoon 1/2 cup of vegetable purée into bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.
Place three noodles over purée. Top with 1/2 cup of purée, 1/2 of remaining vegetables, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, purée and cheese.
Bake until bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.

Serving size is 1 piece (1/6th of recipe)
Each serving = 5 Weight Watchers Points

Another Fabulous Food Finds Friday is here, and today, I want to tell you about an amazingly yummy pasta that has only 3 Weight Watchers Points per 2oz serving (which is at least 1 Weight Watchers Point less than all other pasta). It’s Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta! Ronzoni Smart Taste is a new member of the New World Pasta family of brands. What’s so special about it? Read on to learn more!

Weight Watchers Low Calorie, High Fiber Pasta

This is the first white pasta to be enriched with fiber and calcium-and lots of it. Three times the fiber and calcium equal to an eight-ounce glass of milk. Studies show that many diets are lacking in these two important nutrients. Plus, Smart Taste is lower in calories and fat than traditional pasta. That means Smart Taste has the same great taste of pasta that you and your family love but with greater nutritional value. This low calorie pasta is super high in fiber – it packs in 6 grams per serving!! But here’s the best part — it tastes EXACTLY like regular pasta!! And with just 3 Weight Watchers Points per 2 oz serving, it’s definitely lower in Points than regular white pasta, so if eating the whole wheat pasta isn’t really your thing, Smart Taste will knock your socks off. So rather than eating the empty calorie white pasta, give this one a try. The noodles come in many traditional pasta shapes, so you can incorporate it a lot of Weight Watchers Recipes!