Yesterday night, I got home from a weekend trip to Winston-Salem, NC for an alumni event at my alma mater, Wake Forest University.
It was a great weekend full of nostalgia, good eats, exploring, and showing my husband this part of my life he never knew about. We even drove to Chapel Hill, NC, one of my favorite college towns, to grab lunch and walk around.
When we got back to our apartment around 10:30pm last night, I crashed!
Perhaps the older I get, the worse I get at travelling! I never got tired from traveling like I do now – the past year, I’ve definitely noticed it. We woke up this morning at 8:10am! We both slept in (we usually get out of bed by 7:15/7:30am, unless I’m working out, and then I’m up at 6:15am).
It felt good to sleep in and recharge. It’s important to give our bodies what they want and not push ourselves too much – that’s how you get sick and burn out.
So now I’m back in my office, ready for a super jam-packed, productive week before I leave for another trip: down to Florida, to spend my birthday weekend with my parents, sister, her fiancé, my three girlfriends, and of course, Lu. We leave Thursday night!
Today’s recipe is an easy zucchini ribbon dish to satisfy those creamy pasta cravings, without the cream – we just stir in a little goat cheese to give the tomato sauce that infusion of velvety smooth, sweet flavor. I used Victoria Fine Foods‘ Tomato Basil sauce, because of its clean ingredients and the richness in this flavor. And if you don’t eat cheese, just omit the goat cheese and make this a simple tomato pasta sauce.
I added peas and artichokes to welcome spring, although it doesn’t feel like spring as I look out the window and it’s foggy and rainy. My secret to easy artichokes is to use canned ones!
This is a trick I’ve used for years. Instead of buying whole artichokes, grab a can of quartered artichoke hearts, drain the can, pat them dry, and lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season simply with salt and pepper. Roast them until they’re browned and voila – roasted artichoke hearts without the hassle of using whole artichokes!
And finally, the peas infuse a bit of plant-based protein and give the sauce an earthy taste that balances out that creamy goat cheese tomato sauce.
Happy Monday, everyone! Hope it’s a productive one!
Note: This post was sponsored by Victoria Fine Foods. However, all opinions are my own, always.
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Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 12 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Zucchini Fettuccine with Tomato Cream Sauce, Peas and Roasted Artichokes
Ingredients
- 1 13.75 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained, patted dry
- olive oil to drizzle
- salt and pepper
- 4 medium zucchinis
- 1 24oz jar marinara sauce or tomato basil sauce (I used Tomato Basil)
- 1 oz goat cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out the artichokes and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until the artichokes start to brown.
- Meanwhile, spiralize the zucchinis with Blade A and trim with kitchen shears. Set aside.
- Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and add in the marinara sauce. Bring sauce to a boil. Once boiling, add in the goat cheese and stir well until sauce is thickened and goat cheese is smooth throughout the sauce. Add in the peas and reduce heat to low and keep warm.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, spritz with cooking spray, add in the zucchini noodles. Cook the noodles for 5-7 minutes or until al dente. Drain into a colander, pat dry and divide onto plates.
- Top the noodles with the creamy sauce and artichokes.
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