What’s for supper tonight is lean, green, spring pasta. The garden-fresh perennial herbs are busting out with tender but piquant leaves and are desperately calling out to be picked. It’s easy to go out back and pick such freshness and then decide what’s for supper. Also, take into account what is seasonal in the grocery store like this month is tender asparagus and sugar snap peas.

I read an article this week rating all the current diets as to which ones are the healthiest and which ones promote healthy lifestyles based on “can eat” instead of restrictive “can’t eat.” Attention all my Middle East friends! The diet that won in both categories is the “Mediterranean Diet.”

This is how we ate growing up. Menus were planned based on which fruits and vegetables were in season, not on what meats were in the freezer! Meats were for special occasions and just an ingredient in a recipe, not the star of the meal. I find myself still practicing this way of cooking.

Therefore, I recommend the following recipe that incorporates the best of what is in season this month.

Make the low-fat blend sauce first and keep it warm on the side while preparing your pasta and vegetables. For the low-fat blend, place 1/2 cup plain nonfat yoghurt and 1/2 cup plain nonfat cottage cheese in a blender; blend until smooth. (A food processor does not give the right texture.)

In a saucepan, heat the low-fat blend, broth, nutmeg, salt, and pepper over low heat just till warm, stirring constantly. Blanch the asparagus and sugar snap peas. Bring frozen peas to room temperature. Stir all of the prepared vegetables into the sauce blend. Add 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint. Cook the fettuccine as directed on package. Add to sauce and vegetables in a large bowl. Toss the mixture. Garnish with the chopped parsley. This recipe makes four servings. Each serving is only 330 calories!

Which vegetable is going to be the star of your supper tonight?