"What's this masterpiece called?"

Pasta with Caramelized Onion Trio, Arugula, and Mozzarella

This recipe holds a special place in my heart. I made this as part of a surprise dinner for my boyfriend, this was not the surprise. Rather, I served this on the beach complete with and elegant white tablecloth, white dishes, pelligrino, cute wine glasses, over a table with shells. We ate at sunset and it was completely amazing. When he started eating it he asked "What's this masterpiece called?" hence the title. Not only is this dish different, but its also simple and elegant. Again, I advise that you chop the onions and leeks ahead of time. Leeks are tricky to cut and clean, so here is a quick how-to. Leeks are essentially a root, so to begin cut off the white end with the roots hanging out. Next, cut the leafy part off. This leaves you with a shape similar to a green onion. You want to cut this in half lengthwise and start dicing away. Place your diced pieces in a bowl of water to get all the sand out (leeks have a lot of sand hidden in their crevices), drain after about 3-5 minutes of soaking. This is best served immediatly after tossing.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)






Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups coarsely chopped leek

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped white onion

1/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup dried currants

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups coarsely chopped arugula

1/2 cup (2 ounces) cubed fresh mozzarella

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, white onion, and green onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until leek and onions are golden brown, stirring frequently.



While onion mixture cooks, prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.



Bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add dried currants and vinegar. Add broth mixture, cream, and salt to onion mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in arugula, mozzarella, and thyme. Add to pasta; toss gently to combine.



Nutritional Information

Calories:418 (28% from fat)

Fat:13.1g (sat 6.2g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:13g

Carbohydrate:63.7g

Fiber:4.7g

Cholesterol:32mg

Iron:3.6mg

Sodium:584mg

Calcium:170mg