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Rotini with Walnut Sauce and Vegetables

What you need: 

4 cups whole wheat rotini
2 heads broccoli, chopped
2 squash, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1 to 2 cloves garlic, to taste
1-1/2 tablespoons low sodium tamari
1/4 cup (or less) water
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use low sodium kidney beans)

What you do: 

1. Cook the rotini pasta in boiling water until al dente.
2. Steam the broccoli & squash together for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just slightly cooked. (If you'd rather saute in a skillet with some oil you can too, but steaming is healthier.)
3. Walnut Sauce: In a food processor grind the walnuts and garlic cloves together. Then add the tamari and water. Add a little water at a time to get the right consistency. It should be slightly watery to coat all the pasta.
4. When pasta is done, put rotini in a large serving bowl. Mix in kidney beans and walnut sauce until everything is coated with sauce.
5. Toss in the cooked vegetables and serve warm.
* I normally make this meal ahead of time and then refrigerate for my dinners during the week. I've noticed that the walnut sauce thickens once refrigerated. So i usually will make the sauce somewhat watery because of this. If serving right away, I'd make it less watery so it can be already somewhat thick (if that makes sense!). OR just make the sauce the day before and refrigerate till ready to use.
This is a great low-fat sauce recipe for me and i never get tired of it. I like it with the rotini because the sauce tends to thicken up and it coats better with the shape of the pasta. Penne can even be used too.
Hope everyone likes it as much as I do! Good luck with the recipe!
Source of recipe: I was playing around the kitchen and this is what I came up with.The Walnut Sauce was modified from the book "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.

Preparation Time: 
5-10 minutes, Cooking time: about 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 
about 10 minutes
Servings: 
4
Recipe Category: 

SO HOW'D IT GO?

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