By Linda Gassenheimer

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A tangy, Dijon-mustard sauce flavors juicy, tender pork for this French-style dinner. Red peppers and tomatoes tossed with pasta complete this quick meal.

Dijon, a small town in the Burgundy area of France, is where this mustard originates.

For this recipe, the pork is butterflied for faster cooking, and the sauce takes minutes to make.

Linda Gassenheimer is a food writer for the Miami Herald..

Tomato and Red Pepper Pasta

Water

4 ounces fusilli (corkscrew) pasta, (about 1¼ cups)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium-size tomato cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)

1 small sweet red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional

Fill a large saucepan with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and boil for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large, nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, red pepper and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a large bowl. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bowl. Toss well, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve with the pork.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 323 calories, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 0 cholesterol, 10 grams protein, 58 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams dietary fiber, 20 milligrams sodium

Dijon Pork

¾ pound pork tenderloin

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons low-fat, plain yogurt

2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

Olive oil cooking spray

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the visible fat from tenderloin, cut it almost in half lengthwise, and open it like a book. Cut it in half crosswise to make 2 portions.

Mix the mustard with the yogurt and mayonnaise, and set aside.

Coat the same skillet that is used for the pasta vegetables with olive oil spray. Place over medium-high heat and add the pork. Saute for 2 minutes, turn, season the cooked side with salt and pepper, and saute the uncooked side for 3 more minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees.

Remove the pork to a plate. Add the sauce to the skillet and stir to dissolve the brown bits. Spoon the sauce over the pork.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 275 calories, 11.3 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 108 milligrams cholesterol, 37 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 382 milligrams sodium

Hints

Any type of pasta can be used.

Boneless pork chops can be substituted for pork tenderloin.

Shopping list:

To buy: ¾ pound pork tenderloin; 1 jar Dijon mustard; 1 container nonfat, plain yogurt; 1 small package fusilli pasta; 1 medium tomato; 1 small red bell pepper; 1 small bunch parsley (optional).

Staples: Olive oil, olive oil spray, reduced-fat mayonnaise, minced garlic, salt, black peppercorns.

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