What's For Dinner: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese

Okay, I know pasta and red sauce isn't all the exciting. However, I opted to fancy it up a bit by adding some roasted grape tomatoes to the sauce as well as a bit of cottage cheese to the finished dish to add in a little creamy flavor and interesting texture. (If it's good enough for lasagna and baked ziti, why not a spaghetti dish?) Meanwhile. what is the deal with "cottage cheese"? Something about its name gives me the heebie-jeebies, though I actually really like how it tastes. If you aren't a fan of cottage cheese, you could easily replace it with ricotta cheese.

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese 
(printer-friendly version)

makes two servings

2 oz whole-wheat spaghetti

1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

1 cup roasted grape tomatoes (recipe below)

2/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, then add in the pasta. Cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Add the pasta sauce and roasted grape tomatoes to a small pot. Heat over low heat until warmed.

3. To serve, add a serving of pasta to a plate. Top with 1/3 C cottage cheese and 1/2 C pasta sauce. Serve immediately.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

makes one pint

1 pkg organic grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the rinsed grape tomatoes to a glass baking dish.

3. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Shake the dish to evenly coat all the tomatoes.

4. Season with salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Shake the dish again to evenly coat the tomatoes with the seasonings.

5. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have shriveled slightly.

6. Let cool for a few minutes before eating, or store in a closed container in the fridge for up to a week.