One-Pot Healthy Creamy Spinach Asparagus Pasta

Name: One-Pot Healthy Creamy Spinach Asparagus Pasta
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 large onion, chopped; 8 asparagus leaves, chopped; garlic salt; 1 tsp olive oil; ~ 1 1/2 cup organic chicken stock; 1 1/2 cup reduced 1% milk; 1 handful spinach leaves; ~2 cups Italian dry garofalo pasta (or any other variety); 1-2 tsp cornstarch (depending how thick you want your sauce to be); optional: sprinkle of parmesan cheese; optional: some cubed smoked ham or cooked sausage chunks; optional: some diced bell pepper for more sweet tanginess to cut the richness, add in with the onions

Fluffycakehamster @cook_6279574

As I was searching the web for pasta recipes, I realized most of them called for cream cheese, an entire cup of fattening cream, and a lot of cheese. So I asked myself, how do I come up with a recipe that tastes creamy and flavorful and rich but doesn't have a ton of saturated fat? The answer? Cornstarch. That's right. I know it sounds weird but it works. It thickens the sauce just like how cheese would without the added unhealthy saturated fats that clog up your arteries. I substituted traditional cream with 1% milk and organic chicken stock, which not only gives it great chicken flavor but reduces the amount of fat called in more traditional recipes. So give it a go and tell me what you think!

Fluffycakehamster @cook_6279574

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Ingredients

1/2large onion, chopped
8asparagus leaves, chopped
garlic salt
1 tspolive oil
~ 1 1/2 cup organic chicken stock
1 1/2 cupreduced 1% milk
1 handfulspinach leaves
~2 cups Italian dry garofalo pasta (or any other variety)
1-2 tspcornstarch (depending how thick you want your sauce to be)
optional: sprinkle of parmesan cheese
optional: some cubed smoked ham or cooked sausage chunks
optional: some diced bell pepper for more sweet tanginess to cut the richness, add in with the onions

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Steps

1

Heat up the oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan with the diced onions and asparagus
2

Toss in some garlic salt and sautee for around 3-5 minutes.
3

Then add in the chicken stock and milk, it should be around 1.5 inches from the rim (so that it doesn't boil over).
4

Add in the dry pasta
5

Continue to cook on medium heat until the mixtures starts to boil.
6

Then, boil the mixture for around 10 minutes stirring every once in a while with a rubber spatula until the pasta is soft and al dente. (If you want to add ham or cooked meatballs or sausages, now is the time to do it)
7

Add in the spinach and stir
8

Dissolve corn starch in around 1 tablespoon of water and add to the sauce/pasta.
9

Stir until the sauce thickens a little (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools!) and remove from heat.
10

Serve plain or sprinkle with some parmesan cheese (optional)
11

If not salty enough, sprinkle some more garlic salt until desired taste.
12

Enjoy!