pasta pasta!

For most of my life I would not indulge in pasta, any more than the occasional lasagna that somebody else made or a few bites of pasta salad at a picnic. I thought it was fattening, and reading the South Beach Diet book (which I recommend by the way: it taught me how digestion works and how to control my weight by eating more protein) only confirmed it.

However, I married an Italian. And, after being forced to eat well because of my health, I've discovered that you can eat as much as you want of things that are truly good for you, and be fine on the scale. And guess what, whole grain pasta is good for you! And with brands like Barilla, it tastes the same as regular (white, nutritionless, gut-clogging) pasta, even to my authentic husband.

It's a good thing I've switched over to the pasta-indulgence category, now that I'm making many Rachael Ray (also Italian, of course) meals. She has been very helpful in cooking for a picky eater who adores tomatoes, tomatoes, pasta, and tomatoes.

I recently made her Chicken Parm Pasta Toss and it is a perfect, light summery meal, and fun to make...and eat! Viva Pasta!