Not only that, but you can make this dish for a total cost of about $1.50. A buck fifty!
I know I keep harping on this, but the idea that "healthy food has to be expensive" is nothing more than a ludicrous fiction. Yes, you can eat healthy, delicious meals at home with simple, easy to obtain ingredients--and you do not have to spend a lot of time or money.
Make this incredible recipe and you'll see exactly what I mean.
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Garden Pasta
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
About 1 cup grated carrot (one medium to large carrot)
About 1 cup grated zucchini (a smallish zucchini will suffice)
About 1/2 pound linguine, fettucine or spaghetti
Black pepper to taste
Optional: parmesan cheese to taste
Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, mince/press the garlic and grate the carrot and zucchini (use the coarsest holes in a simple hand grater).
2) Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, non stick pan. Add the garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add the grated carrot and zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes.
3) Drain pasta, and while still hot, combine with the sauteed carrot, zucchini and garlic. Add a few shakes of black pepper and serve with optional parmesan cheese.
Serves 3. Can be easily doubled.
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Finally, a quick itemization of the key cost components of this dish:
1/2 pound pasta: 50-75c
1 carrot: 20c
small zucchini: 50c
garlic cloves: 10c
Total cost: $1.30-1.55, or around 50c a serving.
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8 comments:
Nice one! Seems easy and yummy :) Thanks!
btw: There is one minor mistake in the recipe: In step two you add garlic twice... I guess the second time it's supposed to be carrots and zucchini.
Thanks BG! Fixed it. Yes, you're correct, I mean to write "carrot" there rather than garlic. Great catch.
DK
Daniel,
I agree completely! So many people think that to eat healthy they do have to spend a lot of money. I find we eat healthier the less we spend and the food is delicious! The processed foods are gone as is as much of the HFC as I have caught. I cook dinner almost every night and my grocery bills have never been lower.
I love the fact that this recipe is so simple and fast! Would you mind if I link it with my blog?
I don't mind at all Colleen! Go for it. Links are the currency of the internet. Glad you liked it!
DK
You forgot your olive oil in the calculations! But still, a great cheap dish.
Hi Marcia! Yes, you're right! I left out olive oil. Nice catch.
To be honest, I struggle with how to measure and calculate pantry items like that. If you buy your olive oil in scale (we buy by the three-liter jug), 1/4 cup (call it 60ml) would work out to something like 20-25c if my math is right.
With other pantry items (e.g., black pepper in this recipe) the cost of the amount used is immaterial. But with olive oil, you have a point.
DK
Yum.
I re-posted you here:
http://eyehalley.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/zucchini-and-carrot-pasta/
with my very minor variations.
Another great recipe. Thank you.
I like your variations. Glad you enjoyed it!
DK
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