EGGS WITH PASTA

"Only a California chef in a playful mode could have come up with this next offbeat yet appealing combination. I discovered it on the breakfast menu at The Newsroom Cafe, along one of the most chic shopping streets in Beverly Hills.

For brunch or a light supper, this is my idea of having it all: scrambled eggs, pasta, a touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, tangy red tomatoes and the bright, wake-up flavor of fresh basil. In keeping with our concern with healthful dishes, it could even be ordered made with egg whites only."

8 large basil leaves
2 large eggs
white of 1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. unsalted sweet butter
2 cups cooked cavatappi (corkscrew-shaped pasta) or elbow macaroni, cooked
according to package directions
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, at least 1/2 cup
1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Stack basil leaves on top of one another. Roll leaves lengthwise, making a fat "cigar." Cut the roll crosswise, using a sharp knife, to make fine shreds. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and whites together in a bowl. Mix in salt and pepper.

Heat the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add the eggs. As soon as they set, about 30 seconds, add pasta. Scramble until the eggs are almost cooked as you like them. Mix in the tomato. Turn the eggs and pasta onto a serving plate.

Sprinkle basil over eggs. Shred cheese over eggs and serve.

Makes 2 servings, each containing 359 calories and 12 grams of fat
Source: Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research