Parmesan Adds Flavor To Light Clam Sauce

Pasta dishes usually are touted as good choices for people cutting back on dietary fat, but sometimes even “healthful” dishes are deceptively full of fat grams.

For example, in a traditional recipe for White Clam Sauce With Spaghetti, 38 percent of the calories in the dish came from butter and oil.

Reducing the fat meant eliminating the butter and half the oil, substituting a half-cup of 2 percent milk. This change alone reduced the fat total from 21 grams per serving to 10.

A bit of extra Parmesan cheese helped to boost the flavor and thicken the sauce without weighing down the dish with fat. Other minor changes, such as adding more garlic and using fresh parsley in place of the dried herb, made for a fresher taste without masking the delicious seafood flavor of the original.

Light White Clam Sauce With Spaghetti

1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped green onions (about 3 medium)

2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press

1 Roma tomato, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup 2 percent milk (see note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 (6-1/2-ounce) cans minced clams (without MSG), drained and juice reserved

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large kettle, cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a separate kettle or large skillet. Add the green onions, crushed garlic, tomato and parsley and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the oregano, basil and milk and bring to a simmer. Add the juice from the reserved clams, season with salt and pepper and simmer 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the reserved clam meat and keep hot until the pasta is done.

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the clam sauce. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese and toss well. Add remaining Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 411 calories, 20 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fat (22 percent fat calories), 48 milligrams cholesterol, 373 milligrams sodium.

Note: You can substitute canned evaporated skim milk for the 2 percent milk. Using fresh skim milk is not recommended because it separates easily during cooking.

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