Brown Rice Pasta with Apples

• 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled & cubed
• 1/2 cup Ideal brown sugar
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. spice (your choice. I used apple pie spice)
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice pasta
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a medium size pan cook apples, Ideal brown sugar, butter, pecans and spice until apples are tender. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse pasta. Pour into apple mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 6.

This idea came to me after a friend told me about a dessert recipe made with pasta. I've never had "sweet" pasta and the idea didn't really appeal to me. I had 3 Granny Smith apples that needed to be used or they would go to waste and when I started thinking of ways to cook them I decided stewing would be the best. Then I spotted a box of brown rice penne that was staring at me from it's shelf in the cabinet. What did I have to loose? That's how I came up with the above recipe. I simply decided to "Think With My Taste Buds."

After making this dish I did what I always do which is serve it to some of my food testers. It was sampled by 5 testers. Four gave it a 10 with one of them actually eating 3 servings. Only one didn't like the dish but as she said, it's the concept of eating "sweet" pasta. All in all, this turned out to be a really good dish and a healthy one too.