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Healthy pasta

any one out there who has helathy and nice ways to cook pasta let me know, i'm a pasta holic and instead of cutting it out i'd love some healthy receipes...

Mon. Feb 11, 12:15am

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well, I'd opt for brown rice pasta instead of regular pasta. Or try spelt, kamut or buckwheat pasta. (where I live, these ones only come in whole grain style).

Cold pasta salads are often a great idea- use whatever kind of salad dressing you want (low fat, no fat, low cal, whatever) and throw in veggies! Canned ones are quick and convenient if you like them, you can add canned fish, fresh veg, some shredded cheese if you like- possibilities are quite endless.

Otherwise, marinara is your best sauce option. Alfredo sauces, cheese sauces, rose sauces all tend to be higher in fat.

Personally, I tend to avoid pasta- if there is ANY left in the pot I eat it all. I will eat what other people don't eat- it's seriously like a drug to me. Plus, then I'm carb craving the next day.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 2:55 AM

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Whole Foods used to carry a lentil flour pasta that was very high in protein. Don't know if they still do, but it was good!

Monday, February 11, 2008, 9:40 AM

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whole wheat pasta is very healthy . i'm from Italian heritage and could never live without it. I mix it with lots of veggies, or tomato sauce or even chinese style. I've lost a lot of weight and never gave up my pasta

Monday, February 11, 2008, 9:47 AM

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Quinoa pasta is quite good. It holds its consistency better than brown rice and doesn't taste like cardboard (I can't stand most whole wheat pasta for this reason). It has great protein and fiber and is quite filling - it won't cause the carb-crazies like regular pasta does.

To make healthy receipes stay away from cream-based sauces and reduce the amount of pasta in the recipe so that each serving gets 4oz (cooked). Then fill the rest of the recipe out with veggies. At first it will feel like there's very little pasta, but once you're used to it, you'll feel cheated when you order pasta at a restaurant and there's only a token veggie or two. I try to stay away from most major sauce brands because they're packed with sugar, and so I use either Trader joe's sauce or the 365 brand at Whole Foods (they are both inexpensive as well). I use pomodoro, marinara, bruschetta or half-n-half white wine and chicken broth as a sace base and then season according to the ingredients used. The possibilities are absolutely endless.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 10:13 AM

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Cook a spaghetti squash instead. It does actually taste like spaghetti. Then, just add a tomato sauce. Yum! I'm actually plannning on having that for supper tonight myself.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 11:01 AM

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I personally can't STAND whole wheat pasta. I get enough fiber and whole grains in the rest of my diet, so I used the regular white stuff. However, I try to mix equal parts pasta and whatever I'm putting on it, like tomato sauce and turkey sausage, or something that sort of resembles ratatouille with an ounce of mozz melted on top. In other words, minimize the relatively flavorless-but-filling pasta and boost the vegetables and lean meat. Don't just have spaghetti with meat sauce - throw in some chopped mushrooms or whatever vegetables you like to bulk it up.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 12:12 PM

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11:01 - can you tell me how to make spaghetti squash? Have always wanted to try this but have no idea how to cook it. Thanks!

Monday, February 11, 2008, 1:22 PM

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Healthy pasta

I use the whole wheat pasta and cook it a little longer as I think its better a little softer. I make a "sauce" of garic and onions sauteed in PAM then I add escarole or broccoli rabe then add chicken broth and let it cook until desired doneness of your veggies. Lastly I add some white beans from a can (Northern or small white beans) and cook a few minutes while the beans actually thicken the sauce . Its quick and easy and you can use any leafy green you like.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 1:41 PM

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There is a product called Tofu Shirataki which you can find in Asian stores and some health food stores. It looks like pasta and is found in the refrigerated section. It comes in Angel Hair, Fettucini and Spaghetti shaped. It is made from Tofu and it tastes great with whatever sauce you add. A 4 oz portion has only 20 calories - yes 20! 5 grams of fact and 2 grams of fiber. It's a great find.


Carbs: 3g

Fiber 2g



Monday, February 11, 2008, 1:43 PM

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Spaghetti Squash

I've only made it once so I'm trying to remember how I prepared it... I think I cut it in half, scooped some seeds out it, and then microwaved it until it was tender. Then, you run your fork down it in strips and it literally falls off like spaghetti noodles. It doesn't really have much taste to it, so you'll need a tasty sauce to go with it, but the texture isn't half bad. I actually quite liked it.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 1:52 PM

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I love spagetti squash.
When I cook it I cut it in half around wise. Not lengthwise. You get longer strings more like spagetti that way. I poke it a couple times and microwave it for a few min. Mabye 4 then take it out and cut it. It is so hard to cut otherwise. And I wait to clean it until it is done.

Sometimes I have spagetti sauce on it sometimes just I can't believe it's not butter spray and salt and pepper.

I have even made Jambalaya without rice. I am not a huge rice fan. Then I use the Jambalaya sauce over spagetti squash or pasta.
Make the Jambalaya with turkey kilbasa.

In the summer I make a not so pasta salad. Using tons of veggies and less pasta than you normally would.
I love kraft zesty italtian dressing so I use both the fat free and the regular.

Made Rachael Ray's roasted vegetable rattitoulli the other day and it was really good.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:24 PM

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