Recipe: Mediterranean-Style Rotini with Toasted Garlic Panko

I had already done my shopping for the week, so it was too late to make something else. Instead, I decided to change the recipe–I added everything I could find in the pantry to give this pasta dish a big boost in flavor. I could have gone the easy route and doused this with massive amounts of cheese, but I opted to add ingredients that pack a lot of flavor into a small amount of calories and fat, making this Mediterranean-Style Rotini recipe both delicious and healthy.

Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup panko
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic divided
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 2 cups thinly sliced sweet onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla–about 1 pound
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup kalamata olives pitted and quartered
• 1-14 oz. can small artichoke hearts drained and quartered
• ¼ cup basil leaves torn
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes thinly sliced
• 8 ounces uncooked rotini
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine panko, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Spread panko mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after 3 minutes. Cool.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to pan. Add onions to pan; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining garlic and wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute. Add broth and heat until liquid is reduced (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in olives, artichoke hearts, basil leaves, and sun-dried tomatoes.
• While onions are cooking, cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain. Stir pasta into vegetable mixture and add remaining salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture into bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons of the panko mixture.

Nutrition