Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce $3.44

SO much more than the title implies - yes, those are Red Peppers and Peas amidst the tomatoes! 

There is SO much wholesome goodness in this dish ... and REALLY, it's light!  10 g fat! In this type of dish... unheard of!

Here you go Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce $3.44!
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise &seeded (or equivalent amount of "jarred" roasted red pepper) (1.00)
1 cup evaporated low-fat (or skim) milk (.75)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (.30)
1/2 tsp freshly grnd. black pepper (.01)
1 tbsp olive oil (omitted for lent)
2 tbsp finely chopped canadian bacon or prosciuto  (omitted for lent)
2 cups (1 can) diced tomatoes, with the juice (.55)
1 cup frozen peas (.33)
8 oz linguine or long-type noodle (.50)

Preheat Broiler.  Quarter the Bell Pepper, then place the it cut-side down on the broiler rack.  Broil 4 inches from the heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the skin is blackened.  Remove from the broiler and place on a plate with an inverted bowl over top them - allow to steam about 5 minutes, then peel and slice into ribbons (thin strips).  (Obviously omit this step if you are using jarred roasted red pepper - a welcome shortcut that didn't exist in my world when I was first introduced to this recipe)

Prepare water for the pasta.
In a small bowl, combine the evaporated milk and the parmesan cheese and black pepper.

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil and then when it's hot add the canadian bacon.  Once starting to crisp, add the tomatoes and ribbons of peppers.  Cook over medium heat until flavorful and slightly thickened (5 or so minutes).  Add the peas and cook until heated through, about 2-4 minutes.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender, place in a large pasta serving bowl and add the milk/cheese/pepper solution, tossing well to coat and melt the cheese.  Transfer the tomato sauce to the serving bowl, toss to combine, and serve!

A definite favorite!  For the lenten treat, we made it without the olive oil or the canadian bacon.  It was certainly good flavor and even healthier than the 10 grams of fat represented above.  We didn't think it was missing any flavor as the tomatoes and peppers really "owned the dish", but the meat would have been a nice addition and a slightly more flavorful meal.  Such a small sacrafice.