A Light and Healthy Dinner

It's cold and rainy for the second day in a row. There's no chance to get out in the garden today. I decided to make a light and healthy dinner and forget about my garden for a little while.
This is a new recipe I tried using some of my herbs. It's called Colorful Crab-Broccoli Pasta



1 (8 oz.) pkg. medium shell macaroni, uncooked
Vegetable cooking spray (I used olive oil instead)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons unsalted margarine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Chablis or other dry white wine
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed
1 small sweet yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, coarsely chopped
1/2 (1-pound) package frozen imitation crabmeat, thawed, rinsed, and drained
Fresh basil sprigs (opt.)

Cook macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions and garlic, and saute until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet, and set aside.
Melt margarine in skillet. Add flour; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually stir in wine; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; gradually stir in milk, basil, and dillweed.
Add onion mixture, pepper, broccoli, and crabmeat to sauce. Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Combine pasta and broccoli mixture; toss gently. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired. Yield: 6 servings (218 calories per 1-cup serving).





Review: This is a light recipe, but it was lacking in something so maybe a little salt wouldn't hurt. I might also use whole wheat pasta for more health benefits.
I thought this dish had a great flavor but was a little dry after the sauce had soaked into the pasta. I think next time I'll double the margarine, flour, wine, and milk. Of course, once we had finished the bottle wine, it didn't really matter :)