All Posts tagged pasta

Healthy National Pasta Day Recipes

By Gallagher Home Health Services 17 Oct, 2015 Recipes healthy pasta recipes, national pasta day, pasta, pasta recipes, recipe, recipes

0 Comments

Today is a glorious holiday, or at least one of my favorites… National Pasta Day! It’s the perfect time to chow down on a heaping helping of mac and cheese, spaghetti with meatballs, fettuccine Alfredo, or even some tasty pesto penne. Unfortunately, none of these foods are very healthy for you, which leads to quite a dilemma… to celebrate National Pasta Day or not?

Don’t worry, there is a solution! Instead of using your mom’s mac and cheese recipe which calls for six sticks of butter, why not try one of these healthy pasta alternatives? By switching to natural and more wholesome ingredients, these healthy pasta recipes can actually be good for you! That way, you can celebrate this most important of holidays without ruining your diet and harming your body.

1. Spaghetti With Sweet Potatoes and Ricotta This fun dish breathes new life into your tired and overused spaghetti recipe. The sweet potatoes make a surprisingly good addition to the pasta, while the clumps of ricotta blend everything together into creamy goodness. For an even lighter dish, try low fat cheeses instead.
2. Wild Mushroom Farfalle If you’re a fan of mushrooms, you’ll love this fungus-infused meal. Onions, garlic, fresh fill, and grated lemon rind add a unique touch of flavor with adding too many calories or fat. The part-skim ricotta cheese also has reduced fat, while the unsalted vegetable stock and unsalted butter keep your sodium levels down.
3. Pasta with Spinach Pesto Sauce Normal pesto is filled with unhealthy oil, but this version drastically cuts back on the grease. By using a bit of chicken broth, lemon juice, and tofu, this sauce is able to mimic the creamy texture of pesto. Additionally, the spinach adds a great boost of vitamins to the mix and has the same green look as the traditional sauce.
4. No-Bake Macaroni and Cheese Mac and cheese is a wonderful meal, but usually so unhealthy. This dish tries to turn that around a little bit with no added butter or oil. The gooey cheese combine with low-fat milk to create a creamy sauce, while the addition of chopped broccoli adds some necessary green veggies to your diet.
5. Lamb and Eggplant Ragu Spice up your palette by adding a bit of Mediterranean flair with this lamb and eggplant pasta combo. The unusual combination of flavors will have your tongue singing with joy, while your body feasts upon the many vitamins and nutrients. Lean meat provides healthy protein, while the overload of eggplant offer vitamins.
6. Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera Mmm… veggies! This recipe calls for an entire grocery store of vegetables, giving it a powerful infusion of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. With shallots, garlic, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, and peas… your body won’t know what to digest first!
7. Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus Fettuccine Alfredo is a classic, and this twist on it actually makes it healthier to eat. The fresh asparagus pairs nicely with the pasta and adds a delightful crunch. Small amounts of butter, less-fat cream cheese, and fat-free milk keep your cholesterol under control.
8. Healthier Spaghetti Bake Ok, since this is a casserole, it might not be the healthiest option on the list. But it is a lot healthier than a normal casserole. Extra lean beef and turkey provide quality protein and a scattering of veggies offer vitamins, while low fat ricotta cheese and light mozzarella cheese cut out some calories.