Crystalle's Penne Pepperonata

Recipe:

Penne Pepperonata (Pasta with Bell Peppers)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz penne pasta

• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche

• ⅓ cup tomato puree

• 1 yellow bell pepper

• 2 red bell peppers

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• teaspoon garlic

• teaspoon parsley

Bring pot of water to boil. Cook penne for 8 minutes. Drizzle olive oil onto pan warmed up to medium heat. Dice bell peppers. Sautee until they sweat and are softer. Mix creme fraiche and tomato puree then mix with bell peppers. Place pasta in pan and fold all ingredients together. Sprinkle diced garlic and parsley leaves and fold seasonings in.

Analysis:

Whole Wheat pasta has 200 Calories, 10 mg Sodium, and 7g Protein. This means it a healthy way to provide a good amount of your daily calorie intake and will leave you filled because it has a substantial amount of protein. Parsley is rich in Potassium, Vitamin A and C. It is a plant that can be grown locally, eliminating the need for preservatives for transportation. If I would have used preserved (dried) versions of these crops the environmental ramifications had been severe since they can and are grown most anywhere. However, corporations would have profited off of this choice. Small businesses profited off me purchasing from private farmers at a farmer’s market. The bell peppers used were store bought. I am unsure of where they were grown but I do know they were not labeled. As learned in class though, non-organic still have substantially less pesticides than what is considered danger for humans. Tomato puree contains 7% of the recommended amount of dietary fiber. This is important for colon health. My olive oil and tomato puree were transported from California with olives and tomatoes that were most likely commercially grown. The process to make these products would have been extensive and time consuming. This is where ease of making processed pre made products comes into play. Creme fraiche was 17% of the daily recommended amount of fat.  The ratio of processed to whole food in this meal is about half and half. This meal costed a little over $6 and can comfortably feed 3 people.

Unit Reflection:

Although I can make healthy changes to my life and the lives of those close to me, this unit showed me that in America we are exposed to unhealthy, imitation foods and it is made our duty to go out of way to save of our lives. I found interesting in the “Organic Food” warm up that even though some non-organic food items have more pesticide residue on them than organic food, it still has way less than what is deemed a dangerous level, which I did not know before. Therefore, there is little risk that a person will suffer due to these chemicals. On the other hand, I learned in the “Western Diet” warm up that our diet of red meat, sweets, and white bread are what give so many Americans horrible conditions and lead them to any early grave. It is the basis of what I eat and made me reassess my eating habits. The three largest causes of death in America are all health related- heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Although it leads to so many untimely demises, unhealthy food consumption is swept under the rug because there is more profit in cheap synthetic foods. Not to mention our culture of fast food and always being on the go assists in theses unhealthy eating habits. This unit showed me to slow down and put more value on what I eat.