LIGHT STYLE : Pasta With Vegetables That’s Light

The new Dietary Guidelines recommend eating six or more servings of breads, cereals and grain-based foods daily. Here’s a popular pasta dish made with a medley of vegetables containing only 320 calories and deriving 25% of its calories from fat per serving. This will leave room for a light dessert.

CHICKEN PASTA AL PESTO

1/2 cup basil or spinach, chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts or hazelnuts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon low-calorie margarine

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 small zucchini, thinly sliced

4 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup Chinese pea pods, optional

1/2 cup green peas

1/2 sweet red pepper, cut in julienne strips, optional

2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock or water

8 ounces dry pasta

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite-size pieces

Freshly ground pepper

Puree basil, pine nuts, garlic, margarine and Parmesan cheese in food processor or blender. Combine olive oil, zucchini, carrots, pea pods, peas and red pepper in skillet or wok. Stir continuously over medium-high heat until tender.

Bring chicken stock to boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, but firm to bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Toss together vegetables, pasta, chicken and basil mixture in large bowl. Season to taste with pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

320 calories; 125 mg sodium; 41 mg cholesterol; 7 g fat; 41 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 4 g fiber; 25% calories from fat.

Exchanges: 3 meat; 1 bread.