Love for Food

There is something comforting about Mexican food like tacos, nachos, and burritos. In order to switch things up and attempt to make it a little more healthy I made tacos into a pasta dish. The trick to making it healthy is to use low fat everything including the ground beef and whole wheat pasta. This is a very hearty and filling dish with 20 grams of protein for only 10 points!

* Recipe adapted from the blog Overworked Supermom.
Ingredients: Serves Six

1 pound lean ground beef
12 ounces whole wheat pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper

Method:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet pan, cook the ground meat and onions over medium-high heat. Add in the diced tomatoes, garlic and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and remaining pasta water. Continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Simmer for a few minutes over medium heat to reduce the sauce, if needed.
• Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor, if desired.