​Bacon & Sundried Tomato Alfredo Penne Pasta Recipe Is a Weight Watchers Classic Pasta Dinner

This wonderful pasta dish uses sundried tomatoes, which are packed in olive oil, multigrain penne pasta and a packaged light alfredo sauce to produce this calorie-reduced dish, a Weight Watchers favorite. Coming in at only 298 calories, this flavorful dish is actually very good and better for you, too!

Serve this flavorful pasta recipe with a fresh garden salad. This easy penne recipe is on the table in about 20 minutes.

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces multigrain penne pasta (I used Barilla Plus)
• 1 tub or jar (10 ounces) alfredo sauce (I used Buitoni) 
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned 
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook pasta according to package direction, omitting any salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine the alfredo sauce with the sundried tomatoes in a saucepan and heat over a medium-low setting for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl or pot, combine the pasta with the sauce and stir well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the crumbled bacon, chopped basil and cracked black pepper.

Notes

I could have made a “light” alfredo sauce on my own using skim milk thickened with a cornstarch slurry, but we wanted to stick with the original recipe this time. However, for a cost saver, 10 ounces of homemade light alfredo would work just as well. Indeed, 1 1/4 cups of skim milk warmed with about 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and thickened with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch slurry would do the trick to replace the store-bought sauce. We actually doubled the recipe when we made it.

Nutrition: 298 calories, 9 grams fat, 16 grams protein, 38.5 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 29 mg cholesterol and 624 mg sodium

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