Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. uncooked fettecine or fusilli bucati
• 2 tsp margarine
• 1 medium uncooked onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 slices cooked Canadian-style bacon, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Makes 4 Servings

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick saucepan, melt margarine. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat ricotta with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in egg substitute and onion mixture until combined. Stir in milk, bacon, most of Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Add pasta.
4. Add mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring gently, until mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve at once, sprinkled with remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley.

WW POINTS VALUE: 10 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Pasta Carbonara is a classic Italian dish that includes eggs, cheese (pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano), bacon and black pepper that's cooked in fat and butter. Weight Watchers lightened up this dish and added Italian herbs for more flavor. This was a delcious comfort food for dinner but it's a little soupy. You can have a piece of bread with this dish to clean up the sauce if you'd like. You can omit the bacon to make this classic dish vegetarian and save yourself adding unnecessary fat and it will still taste delicious.