A Mary recipe!

I will be posting some of Mary's recipes on this blog for people to try. Let me know if you try it and how it tastes!

Spinach, beans and whole wheat pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 1/3 cup cannellini bean (drained and rinsed well)
• 1/2 cup frozen, chopped spinach (defrosted and drained)
• 1 cup of "petite diced" or crushed tomatoes
• 2 ounces of whole wheat pasta (dry weight)

Optional: Fresh herbs, (rosemary, basil and thyme) salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large pot of salted water to cook the pasta. When the water boils, cook the pasta. Heat the olive oil on low. Add the pressed garlic and stir to combine. Heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the defrosted, drained spinach and heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the drained, rinsed cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper and any herbs. Stir in the canned tomatoes. Heat until the pasta is cooked. You can add some pasta water if it dries out. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Per serving:

• 540 calories
• 3 vegetables (2 tomatoes, 1 spinach)
• 3 starches ( 2 whole wheat pasta, 1 legumes)

This recipe is a "Mary's Meal," based on the work of Mary Flynn, PhD, registered dietitian at The Miriam Hospital and co-author of Low Fat Lies