The dirty little secret about Penne alla Vodka is not the vodka but the hefty amount of heavy cream. Vodka is colorless, odorless, and without much flavor—not really attributes of a superstar ingredient. It’s the combination of cream and tomato sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor. The traditional cream is swapped here for low-fat Greek yogurt.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　8 ounces whole-wheat penne

　　2 cups Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce (page 206) or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce

　　Pinch of crushed red pepper

　　One 7-ounce container 2% Greek yogurt

　　1 cup chopped fresh basil

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, about 9 minutes; drain.

　　

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, bring the marinara sauce and crushed red pepper to a simmer in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the sauce, stirring it occasionally with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the sauté pan from the heat.

　　

Step 3

Stir about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the yogurt until smooth (this tempers it and prevents the yogurt from curdling). Then whisk the yogurt mixture back into the marinara sauce.

　　

Step 4

In a large serving bowl, toss the sauce with the drained penne and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and serve.

　　

healthy tips

Step 5

Whole-wheat pasta has a dense texture that makes it a little tougher than regular pasta. Some people like that chewiness; some don’t. If you’re in the latter category, overcook it a bit. Toward the end of the cooking time, keep testing it until it’s as tender as you like it.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Fat: 60g (before), 4.8g (after)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 618 (before), 320 (after)

　　

Step 8

Protein: 18g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 55g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 11mg

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 6g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 416mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.