Believe it or not, it is possible to eat and cook healthy with pasta. When prepared appropriately, pasta has many positive benefits in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and it can satisfy numerous dietary needs. Pasta is a great vehicle for enjoying other healthy foods that improve your diet as well, such as healthy proteins and vegetables.
The most important thing to remember about pasta is that when you prepare it at home, you have complete control over making sure it was cooked in a healthy manner.
Some tips on how to keep your pasta recipes healthy:
Pay Attention to Portions
First, we nearly always cook too much pasta. The USDA recommends 2 ounces of dry pasta per person, which works out to about 1 cup of cooked pasta per person.
Add Healthy Ingredients
Add sautéed broccoli, peppers, spinach or sweet onions to your plain cooked pasta and mix in a tablespoon of olive oil for a delicious side dish with your meal. Add garlic, herbs and grated Parmesan cheese for flavor.
Always Use Olive Oil
Avoid saturating the pasta in rich, thick and high-calories fats. This is obvious for Italians, but always try to use olive oil, an unsaturated fat, which assists with the absorption of vitamins.
Choose Lean Proteins
Add drained and rinsed beans, such as cannellini beans or chickpeas, along with the sauce. Other healthy protein options include lean pork loin, grass-fed beef, fish, ground turkey and chicken or lean turkey sausage.
Spicy Puttanesca
6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 ounces green olives, such as Castelvetrano (Italian green olives), pitted and chopped (1/2 cup) plus extra for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon drained capers, chopped
- One 2-ounce can anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup canned crushed Italian tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the olives, capers, anchovies, jalapeno and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and the almonds and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 7 minutes.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3 cups of the pasta cooking water.
Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the sauce in the skillet and cook until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the parsley, basil, lemon zest and lemon juice and serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with additional olives, if desired.
Linguine with Scallops
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 pound linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
- Salt
- 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red-pepper (chili) flakes
Directions
Toast the pine nuts in a large dry skillet until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the same skillet over moderately high heat until very hot. Season the scallops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and put them in the skillet.
Sear until brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and sear until brown on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the scallops to a bowl and cut them into quarters.
In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over moderate heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the red-pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the scallops and the pine nuts.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta.
Add the pasta to the skillet with the remaining 4 tablespoons of parsley. Toss well and serve.
Rigatoni with Red Peppers and Spinach
6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Directions
Cook rigatoni according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return pasta to the pot to keep warm.
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Stir in onion, peppers and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally.
After 5 minutes, add spinach and continue to sauté until the vegetables are tender and the spinach is wilted, about 5 more minutes.
Add vegetables, reserved pasta water and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to the cooked pasta and gently toss to combine.
Place in a serving bowl and top with basil and remaining Parmesan cheese.
Spaghetti with Cauliflower and Capers
6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup soft bread crumbs
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed, plus extra for garnish
- One 1 1/2 pound head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (5 to 6 cups)
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
Directions
Bring a 5- to 6-quart pot of salted water to boiling. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, except cook for 2 minutes less than the time given on the package for al dente. Drain spaghetti and return to the large pot.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-low heat. Add breadcrumbs to the hot oil; cook about 3 minutes or until crumbs are crisp and golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 clove of the minced garlic; cook and stir until garlic is tender. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the lemon peel and set aside.
In the same large skillet heat the remaining the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt; cook about 3 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 teaspoon thyme and the remaining 2 cloves minced garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add cauliflower, broth and capers; cover and cook about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Stir in lemon juice and pepper.
Add cauliflower mixture to the cooked spaghetti. Cook about 5 minutes more or until spaghetti is al dente. Divide spaghetti mixture among six shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional snipped fresh thyme.
Chicken, Green Beans and Pesto Pasta
6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 pound of penne pasta
- 8 oz thin green beans, ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup of homemade or good quality prepared pesto
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Trim fat from the chicken breasts. If very thick, slice in half lengthwise to create two thin cutlets. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until melted. Add in the chicken and sauté until browned on each side and almost cooked through – about 3 minutes per side. Place chicken on a cutting board and slice into one inch pieces and set aside.
Add the white wine to the pan and simmer for a few minutes to deglaze. Lower the heat. Add in the stock and simmer for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan and allow to simmer until cooked through.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Add the green beans to the pasta pan for the final 6 minutes of cooking time.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain pasta and green beans.
Add pasta and green beans to the skillet with the chicken. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pesto and add the remaining to the pasta. Stir to incorporate. If dry, add in as much pasta water as needed.
Arrange the pasta on a warmed serving plate and dot with the reserved pesto. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Yes, pasta is healthy!
Pasta makes the perfect delivery system for the healthy foods you should have each day. Pair pasta with a variety of nutrient-dense foods and create meals that you can feel good about. Fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart healthy fish and monounsaturated oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed cheeses, poultry and lean meats are all nutrient dense foods.
Carbohydrates like pasta provide glucose, the crucial fuel for your brain and muscles. Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide a slow release of energy. Unlike simple sugars that offer a quick boost of energy, pasta helps sustain energy.
Pasta is very low in sodium and enriched varieties provide a good source of several essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins. Whole wheat pasta can provide up to 25% of daily fiber requirements in a one cup portion. Enriched pasta is also fortified with folic acid – essential for women of child-bearing age. FDA regulations require enriched grain products to contain this important vitamin. A serving of dry pasta supplies the equivalent of roughly 100 micrograms of folic acid or 25% of the recommended daily intake.
Pasta meals are central to the Mediterranean Diet, not only because they are tasty, inexpensive and easy to prepare, but because they are the perfect way to highlight and complement many of the other healthy foods in this diet. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the Mediterranean Diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer and it is one of the most recognizable successful diets.
So here is how to keep your pasta healthy:
Farfalle with Zucchini and Butternut Squash
This pasta dish makes a great meatless Monday dinner option.
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb farfalle (bow-ties) pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 butternut squash, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 zucchinis, sliced into half moons
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta water.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and oregano and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add the butternut squash and sauté for another 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened.
Add the zucchini and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to the vegetables and bring to a simmer.
Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and cheese.
Chicken Fettuccine in Parmesan Cream Sauce
4 servings
Ingredients
- Non-stick olive oil spray
- 10 ounces skinned and boned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch long strips
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups reduced fat milk
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt, white pepper and ground nutmeg
- 8 oz. dried fettuccine
- 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched or frozen florets, defrosted and drained on paper towels
Directions
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain.
Spray a 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick olive oil spray, add the 2 teaspoons of butter and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute; add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet; set aside and keep warm.
In the same skillet melt remaining butter over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1 minute. Sprinkle butter with flour and cook, stirring constantly with wire whisk, for 1 minute. Continuing to stir, slowly add the milk; cook until bubbly and thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the milk mixture; stir until the cheese is melted. Add cooked fettuccine, broccoli and reserved chicken; reduce heat to low and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated with the sauce and heated through.
Pasta with Eggplant Olive Sauce
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- One 28 – ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, cut up, undrained
- One 6 – ounce can Italian-style tomato paste
- One 4 – ounce can (drained weight) sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives or pitted ripe olives, sliced
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 8 oz. penne pasta
- 1/3 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Directions
Peel eggplant, if desired; cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes.
Heat oil in a large saucepan and add the eggplant, onion and garlic. Cook until the eggplant begins to brown.
Add undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, wine or broth, the water and oregano.
Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer with the saucepan cover ajar and cook for about an hour or an hour and a half or until the sauce thickens.
Stir in olives and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain.
Mix the cooked pasta into the eggplant sauce; add the Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts. Serve.
Herbed Shrimp Linguini
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen peeled, deveined medium shrimp
- 8 ounces dried linguini or spaghetti
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary, plus additional for a garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Rinse shrimp and set aside.
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Add the shrimp to the pasta water the last 3 minutes of cooking.
Drain well and place in a large pasta bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the cheese, the garlic, olive oil, snipped rosemary, salt and black pepper and toss until well coated.
Sprinkle evenly with the 2 tablespoons remaining cheese and garnish with additional rosemary leaves. Serve immediately.
Rigatoni With Roasted Cauliflower and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- ½ medium head cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into florets
- ½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil and drained
- 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil from the jar
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 ounces grated Pecorino cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 450° F.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower and onion with the thyme, sun-dried tomato oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Roast, tossing the vegetables once halfway through cooking, until golden brown and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Add the roasted vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, Pecorino cheese and ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pasta.
Toss to combine (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Serve sprinkled with additional Pecorino cheese.
