Valentine's Day Dish: Red-Hot Fusilli

Looking to cook up something special for your special somebody for Valentine's Day? Here's a dish that should steam things up a bit. You'll be doing something for your heart, too. Red-hot fusilli is low in saturated fat, free of cholesterol and contains a full serving of vegetables.

Makes four servings

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
4 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 T fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 T oregano leaves, crushed (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp salt
Ground red pepper or cayenne, to taste
8 oz. uncooked fusilli pasta (4 cups cooked)
1/2 lb (optional) cooked chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (3/4 lb if raw)

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Sauté garlic and parsley until golden. Add tomatoes and spices. Cook uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring often. If desired, add chicken and continue cooking for 15 minutes until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick.

Cook pasta in unsalted water until firm.

To serve, spoon sauce over pasta and sprinkle with coarsely chopped parsley. Serve hot as a main dish and cold for next day's lunch.

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories	293
Fat	5	g
Saturated fat	1	g
Protein	9	g
Carbs	54	g
Fiber	4	g
Sodium	168	mg
Cholesterol	0	mg

With chicken:

Calories	391
Fat	8	g
Saturated fat	1	g
Protein	27	g
Carbs	54	g
Fiber	4	g
Sodium	211	mg
Cholesterol	48	mg

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External Source National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Keep the beat: heart healthy recipes.

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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