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CEiMB: Whole Grain Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto

May 3, 2011 by DanicasDaily 13 Comments

Happy Biggest Loser day all!  I am super excited to share tonight’s recipe with you all because it was picked by Ellie Krieger herself as part of our Craving Ellie in My Belly Cooking Club.   It’s not every day that you have an awesome Food Network Chef & Nutritionist create a recipe just for a bunch of girls who LOVE her recipes!

But, more on the recipe in the few….it’s time to get down to business because tonight is Make Over Night on Biggest LOSER!!

Pre-Workout 5 am snack….I couldn’t do protein with it today, but, I did ponder pineapple Smile

uses for bananas

My workout today ROCKED ~ it was tough, but, I kept pushing all the way to the end.

* 15 minutes of hills on the Elliptical

* C25K week 4, day 1 ~ 24 minutes of run/walk intervals

* 75 crunches & 25 push-ups

The END!

I actually didn’t get a chance to dig into breakfast until almost 10 (I was STARVING!)

1/2 cup Tracey’s Healthy Trail Mix (3 points+)

trail mixes with cereal

Morning Star Maple Veggie Sausage plus pineapple (2 points+)

sausage patty

Last night I made up lunch for today so all I had to do was grab and go.

Simple salad!

salads to go

Plus all the “fixin’s” to make up Healthy Nachos!

low fat nacho recipesmexican food toppings

12 Points+ for everything including 1 Tbsp of my Newman’s Lite Lime Vinaigrette.

weight watchers quick lunch ideas

I couldn’t wait to make tonight’s dinner ~ not just because Ellie picked it for us, but, because it sounded fantastic and only too 35 minutes to make.  She shared a VEGETARIAN recipe for Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes (you can make your own or buy canned) topped with a delicious almond pesto. 

I have pretty much come to the conclusion I LOVE nuts in pasta ~ they add an extra layer of rich flavor that really makes pasta “stick” with you and please your pallet.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

ellie krieger recipes

Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.  Core and slice your tomatoes in half.

how do you seed a tomato

Seed tomato halves by squeezing them over the sink making all the seeds pop out.  Place on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until slightly blackened.

how do you core a tomatoes

Meanwhile, prepare your pasta according to the packaged directions and prepare the sauce.

“Roast” your almonds but cooking in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.  I definitely think this step is KEY because roasting really brings out the nutty flavor that you can taste with each bite.

how to roast almonds

Add almonds plus 1 clove garlic to your food processor or blender.

cuisinart

Process into fine crumbs (this smelled amazing ~ like toasted nutty garlic bread!)

how to make almond meal

Open your can of Fire Roasted tomatoes and REALIZE you were supposed to pick either making your own tomatoes OR using a can.

~ Ooops, I realized this AFTER I opened the can. Open-mouthed smile

who makes fire roasted tomatoes

Add roasted tomatoes, basil, red wine vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes to the food processor.

sun dried tomato pesto

Slowly pour in the olive oil processing until smooth.

emulsify

Since I had my can open and figured my sauce could use more moisture, I went ahead and added it all (half then the other half to make sure it wasn’t too much).

quick spaghetti ideas

Add parmesan and sea salt.  Pulse until combined.

shredded parmesan

Add pasta back to pan and toss with sauce.  Season to taste with sea salt.

barilla pasta

I topped mine with a little extra basil and crushed red pepper flakes.

tomato basil recipes

You get 1/6th of the recipe, about 1 1/4 cups for 10 points+.

spaghetti

Dig in and savor every “sun dried tomato” pesto almond rich bite.

weight watchers pasta recipes

Garlic Goodness ~ 2 slices of Alexia Garlic Bread (3 points+)

weight watchers garlic bread

The way I make pasta dishes “stick” with me is to balance them out with side salads that are BIGGER than my pasta bowl.  Topped with 1 Tbsp TJ’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (1 points+)

italian salad

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Get ready for Cinco De Mayo with these 6 Points+ Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Night all!

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Pasta, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Gail H. says

    May 4, 2011 at 3:22 am

    Too many recipes, not enough time…my to-try pile is growing!! This one looks like a winner! Gonna try the pesto with my Miracle Noodles!!

    Reply
  2. brandi says

    May 4, 2011 at 6:22 am

    that’s one of my favorite Ellie Recipes! So delicious 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lindy says

    May 4, 2011 at 7:30 am

    I love whole wheat pasta,this recipe looks like a keeper.

    Reply
  4. Jen says

    May 4, 2011 at 10:57 am

    Oh my good golly gracious, that looks awesome!!!! I would have to tone it down for the kiddies to eat it, but this is getting “starred” in my reader so I can make it…soon 🙂

    Reply
  5. Roz says

    May 4, 2011 at 11:03 am

    Holy smokes Danica, that looks soooo good. Love Ellie, and love that you opened the can while you were roasting your own tomatoes. Funny!!! Thanks for sharing this! Have a great day!!!

    Reply
  6. Megan@Dirty Dishes Daily says

    May 4, 2011 at 11:34 am

    I love that you are so addicted to that trail mix. I get the same way when I find a new food that is delicious. I eat till I can’t stand it anymore or i run out. Usually it’s the second option 🙂

    Reply
  7. Tanya says

    May 4, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    I did Week 4 Day 1 today. I was not in the mood to run today so it wasn’t a great day. I also ran outside and that just throws me off for some reason. Have you ever completed the program before?

    Reply
  8. jerri says

    May 4, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Danica, a taco salad is one of my favorite lunches to take to work. I make my own taco seasoning so I can control the sodium and use either turkey or chicken breast. I make a salad of whatever lettuce I am feeling that day with a little lite cheddar and A LOT of fresh salsa with a dollop of ff chobani yogurt and a packet of wholly guacamole! Delicious and filling!!!

    Oh, and now you have me hooked on lemon curd! Shame on you! lol

    Reply
  9. BroccoliHut says

    May 4, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    Yay for Ellie! I made one of her recipes tonight for dinner:)

    Reply
  10. Heather says

    May 4, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    I don’t do Weight Watchers so I don’t know where to post for your other blog/group but I saw this on a blog and it made me think of you…

    “Head over to Tanga to get a one year subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine for only $3.99. Use coupon code WEIGHT during checkout!”
    Copied from My DFW Mommy.

    Not sure when it expires but it looks like a really great savings.

    Reply
  11. Joanne says

    May 5, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    A very good pasta dish. The almond pesto was a huge surprise. It had so much flavor.

    Reply
  12. Margaret says

    May 6, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    That looks so tasty. I loved this one cause it was so easy. Besides being delicious.

    I want to try it with the canned tomatoes next time. I also love nuts in salad. or in pasta.

    Reply
  13. DanicasDaily says

    May 9, 2011 at 9:54 am

    Hi Tanya,

    Yes, I have completed the C25K program 2 times previously. This is my 3rd go round. Some days are just like that where you just don’t feel it. Good job on sticking it out….You are doing awesome – keep at the program and you will be surprised at how much easier is does get over time.

    Danica

    Reply

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About Danica

Whether she’s enjoying a dish at a local restaurant or whipping up a crowd-pleasing, nutritious meal at home, Danica has a passion for all things food. She believes in and follows the Weight Watchers principle of “all things in moderation” and chronicles her culinary adventures here. Besides sharing her daily eats and tasty, nutritious recipes, Danica connects others seeking a healthier lifestyle on her site and shares her travel adventures around the world.

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