Healthy Vegetable Pasta Recipe | Spices in My DNA (2024)

FAQs

Is veggie pasta actually good for you? ›

Substituting veggie pasta for traditional varieties can indeed provide a health benefit. It may not be as pronounced as swapping out your pasta entirely for a spaghetti squash, but the added benefit of not needing to take the time to prepare vegetables ahead of time is a definite win for pasta.

Veggie pasta (zucchini, spaghetti squash, eggplant and butternut squash) Whether ribboned, shredded, scraped or julienned, freshly made vegetable-based pasta is an excellent way to boost your veggie intake and reduce carbs. “If you're aiming for fewer carbohydrates and calories, try veggie pastas,” Thayer said.

Vegetables that go with Pesto

In the recipe, we use zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes. But you can change it up with what you have on hand or what's in season! Ideas to try as a veggie swap: Eggplant.

Serve the pasta with some crusty bread or freshly baked Rosemary Focaccia with Roasted Garlic to capture any creamy pesto left on your plate. For a side, I suggest staying light and fresh to balance the rich pasta sauce. A bright and crunchy Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad is this pasta recipe's perfect match.

Red-lentil pasta is another healthy alternative to traditional pasta. Not only is it gluten-free, but it's also rich in protein and fiber. Lentils are also an excellent source of other nutrients, such as folate and iron.

Vegetable pastas, like zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash, are low-calorie alternatives to traditional pasta. Their low carbohydrate content makes them ideal for weight loss diets.

1. Whole-Wheat Pasta. Whole-wheat pasta is an easy-to-find nutritious noodle that will bump up the nutrition of your pasta dish. Made from whole grains, every cup of cooked pasta (140 grams) boasts 43 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of fiber and 8 g of protein per serving, per the USDA.

Vegetable Pasta

Veggie pasta contains wheat and powder from a variety of vegetables such as carrots and sweet corn. Depending on the brand, 2 ounces can contain one-fourth to a half serving of vegetables. Typically, a 2-ounce serving contains 200 calories, 41g of carbs, 8g of protein, and 4g of fiber.

Well, absurd as it sounds, they're simply vegetables cut into shapes reminiscent of pasta, frozen, and marketed as functional and healthy pasta replacements. As such, they're naturally low cal and low carb — especially compared to actual pasta.

Vegetables: I add over 1 ½ pounds of veggies to this pasta recipe and love a combination of zucchini, yellow squash, jarred roasted red peppers, and spinach. Other veggies work, like peas, corn, cauliflower, and cabbage.

Is pesto healthy? ›

Pesto Adds a Ton of Nutrients and Flavor to Food

Pesto is a delicious sauce often made from basil, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. All of these ingredients have health benefits and the reason this topping is considered healthy is that the fat source is unsaturated.

What Kind of Cheese Should I Use? I used fresh mozzarella because I love the way it melts, but you can use block or grated mozzarella in its place (that's usually more affordable as well). Other types of cheese that would work great with pesto are: smoked mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, brie, or white cheddar.

You'll want to be mindful of the sodium content. Some jars have more than 500mg per serving and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend you eat no more than 2,300mg per day. It would be hard to stay within those guidelines if you get more than 20% of your sodium from pesto.

Given all of the above, pesto can undoubtedly be considered a healthy food, and as long as you keep track of portions, it can also be part of a diet that supports a healthy weight. Pesto is nutrient-dense, and because of its fat content, it's also calorically dense.

Surprising Plant-Based Pasta Benefits

Using pasta made from whole grains or beans instead of refined wheat adds nutrients and health benefits to some of your favorite comfort foods. From a nutrition perspective, the difference in fiber content is the most notable.

The Bottom Line. In moderation, including instant noodles in your diet likely won't come with any negative health effects. However, they are low in nutrients, so don't use them as a staple in your diet. What's more, frequent consumption is linked to poor diet quality and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

Nutrition will vary depending on the vegetable you use—you'll usually save calories and carbohydrates compared to traditional noodles. Since most of us don't eat enough vegetables, using them as a noodle swap can be a creative way to get more into your diet.

The only substantial nutritional benefit of veggie pasta over its whole grain counterpart is that it contains more folate. All in all, eat your vegetables rather than consuming foods processed with vegetable products. Stick with whole grains or else you're losing the fiber benefit!