Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pesto sauce and pasta. Simply saute meaty portobello mushrooms and add them to a prepared pesto sauce. With the help of a food processor, this vegetarian dish can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

I accompanied the dish with a salad of roasted red bell peppers. Roasting peppers intensifies their flavor and gives them a smoky taste. Making your own is great, but not on my schedule for a weekday meal. I find that canned or jarred roasted peppers work well with this salad.

MUSHROOM PESTO PASTA

By Linda Gassenheimer

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup prepared reduced-fat pesto sauce
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1/4 pound fresh linguine
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil torn into small pieces (optional garnish)

Bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high. Saute mushrooms 5 minutes. Place in food processor and process to chop. Add pesto sauce and process until well blended. Remove to a large bowl. Mix in pine nuts.

Cook linguine in boiling water 3 minutes, or until cooked but still firm. Drain; toss with mushroom pesto sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with basil, if using. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 422 calories, 18.2 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 13.6 g protein, 49.8 g carbohydrate, 4.1 g fiber, 260 mg sodium.

ROASTED PEPPER SALAD

By Linda Gassenheimer

• Several leaves washed, ready-to-eat Italian-style salad
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 1 cup drained and sliced canned roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing, any type
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Arrange salad leaves on 2 dinner plates.

In a small bowl, toss beans, peppers and salad dressing together. Add salt and pepper. Spoon over lettuce. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 183 calories, 1.8 g total fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 10.8 g protein, 39.1 g carbohydrates, 8.2 g fiber, 20 mg sodium.