mediterranean pasta {recipe}

during the three years i worked as the general manager for a local brewery i fell in love with the mediterranean wheat pasta we offered. since leaving the company nearly two years ago i still crave this simply light and healthy pasta dish. i have made it once before but i revisited it over the weekend knowing it fit into cycle three of the 17-day diet guidelines. suz here is another vegetarian recipe i am happy to share! oh! and did i mention that i skipped using wheat pasta and replaced it with brown rice spaghetti. delish! pair it with a glass of white wine, a simple salad and sorbet and you’ve got one amazing guiltless meal. 

here’s what you need:

1 cup baby spinach

1/2 cup grape tomatoes cut in half. 

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup artichokes, i used frozen (defrosted) but any variety works 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/4 cup feta (17dd use fat-free)

juice of a lemon (mine was really juicy so i only used half)

1 TB butter 

1/4 cup white wine (i used budget friendly pinot grigio)

brown rice spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

here’s how:

in a skillet melt butter. add in onions and sauté until soft, 5-8 minutes. add in garlic and cook for a minute, do not brown the garlic. squeeze the lemon juice into skillet and then wine. let the sauce simmer for a few minutes deglazing the pan. add in tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and cook until spinach is wilted. add the spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat. plate the pasta and top with feta cheese. enjoy! 

have you cooked with brown rice pasta? what are your thoughts about it? i thought it was very starchy, especially while cooking but once it was mixed with everything i thought it tasted just like wheat pasta minus the chewy-ness.