healthy pasta recipe

Guess who got an A+ in productivity today? THIS GIRL. I’ve been up and running and knocking things off my to-do list left and right. POW POW.

I got up and did a few bloggy things over a homemade latte, went on a gorgeous 3 mile run at the beach, picked up some props for my photos from Michael’s, went to the grocery store, started typing up the newest income report, unsuccessfully made homemade banana chips (womp womp womp), but countered that failure with a big success: Lightened-Up Cheesy Garlic Noodles.

I also ate a copious amount of homemade pie and turned my brain into boogers with all the Keeping Up with the Kardashians I’ve been watching. So there’s that as well 😯 .

So anyways, I’m eating these noodles in front of the tv and am getting a little too wrapped up in Khloe’s love life. In this episode, her sisters secretly set up a profile for her on an online dating site and are setting her up with some randoms. That’s the way to true love, my friends.

I think I’m developing a Netflix problem. Since I can get a ton of series instantly, I’ve been binge watching like no other. I’ve learned that if I want to get anything done at all, I need to completely shut off the tv. I try to convince myself that I will reply to emails and type up lab reports after juuust one more show, but Netflix automatically plays the next episode for you unless you click out after a few seconds. And once another episode starts, it’s like rude or something to turn it off. Right?

Mindless reality tv also lends itself to mindless eating and, looking down at the pot (who uses actual plates these days…pshh) I’m already halfway through the entire batch. WOOPS. But can you blame me?! Cheese yummyness. Garlic. GAH. It’s so simple and comes together in just 20 minutes, yet I could eat it all day err’day. I want to swim in a pool of cheesy garlic noodles.

And by swim I mean eat my way through it.

So here’s to a super easy, super speedy, super delicious dinner or lunch that just happens to be on the lighter side as well in terms of calories. WOO!

I would truly appreciate it if you could help keep Apple of My Eye running and share this recipe on Pinterest!Getting photos for this dish was a hassle. For some reason, the sun has been refusing to come out, which left me frustrated when it came to getting good quality lighting. I swear, the clouds were being purposefully spiteful to mock me. Rude.

When I first cooked this beauty up, I had to wait three whole hours to get a bit of sunshine to peak through my window. When I saw it, it was GO GO GO time. Cue the mission impossible theme song, because this girl was on a mission.

And you know what? It was worth it. I completely believe that you eat with your eyes first, and running a food blog sortakindamaybe requires that my photography be up to par. And look! Sparkly parmesan! Juicy chicken! Woohoo! I win!

The beauty of this recipe comes with its simplicity. You take a bunch of fresh and healthy ingredients, throw them together, and you’re bound to end up with something good! Adding a small but tastebud-worthy twist comes with roasting the asparagus with garlic beforehand, giving the dish an extra flavor boost.

And I mean, seriously, could healthy comfort food get any better? Cheesy goodness blended with savory chicken and an extra crunch of texture from the garlic-y asparagus.

So go ahead! Toss that gorgeous emerald asparagus with some chicken, extra garlic (can you tell I <3 it?), cherry tomatoes, onions, and parmesan cheese and you’re in for a healthy meal done in no time at all!

All in all, one big ol’ serving of steamy hot pasta has less that 500 calories and 37 grams of protein! Be kind to your body and satisfy your pasta cravings with this healthy substitute instead of reaching for a calorie and saturated fat-laden alfredo from your nearby pasta joint.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get eatin’!