At first glance, it might seem strange to see the words ravioli and soup together. But I figure if Jewish folks cut through matzo balls and Chinese folks break apart wontons, we Italians should be able to join in by throwing ravioli in our soup. Though I’d like to pretend I’m a trendsetter, I’ve really just created a twist on tortellini soup for the sake of saving fat and calories. In my grocery stores I can find lower-fat ravioli, but I can’t find lower-fat tortellini. If you do find the tortellini, feel free to return to the more traditional and make this soup with tortellini. But I’m pretty happy with it as is, and I think you will be too. Note that if you can find it, Rosetto also makes a whole-wheat ravioli that’s delicious and just as low in fat and calories but packs 6 grams of fiber per serving (I buy it at Whole Foods). The bag is slightly smaller (22 ounces instead of 25), so you’d need a bag plus a few more ravioli to make the recipe as written, but it’s worth buying.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　2 (32-ounce) boxes (or the equivalent) of fat-free, lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (not low sodium)

　　2 medium garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife

　　Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

　　1 (25-ounce) bag of frozen (or the equivalent) cheese ravioli (about 1 inch by 1 1/2 inches; no more than 4 g of fat per 9-piece serving; I used Rosetto)

　　8 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　8 teaspoons reduced-fat, grated Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic canister or jar, not in the refrigerated section)

　　

Step 1

Pour the broth into a large stockpot with a lid and place it over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and season the broth with pepper. Cover the pot and bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Using a mesh strainer (with a handle) or a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves. Add the ravioli and cook for 5 minutes, or until they are al dente.

　　

Step 2

Divide the broth and ravioli evenly among 8 serving bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon parsley and 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese over the top of each bowl. Season with additional pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Each (6 to 7 ravioli plus 1 scant cup broth) serving has:

　　

Step 4

Calories: 183

　　

Step 5

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 27g

　　

Step 7

Fat: 3g

　　

Step 8

Saturated fat: 1g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 13mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 887mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.