Pasta: it's healthy, it's delicious, it's versatile
Written and photographed by Nancy Monaghan
  With just 97 calories per serving, less than a half gram of fat and loaded with B vitamins, pasta is high on just about anyone’s list of healthy foods. Most pastas are made with nutrient-rich semolina (not white) flour, and there are whole wheat and gluten-free versions of the most popular shapes.
But like many other dishes, it’s easy to turn a good thing bad by adding all those high-calorie, high-fat ingredients such as cheese, eggs, cream, beef, pork, sausage -- all the usual wonderful taste treats found in many of the gooiest, cheesiest, yummiest baked pasta dishes such as lasagna, baked ziti, and spaghetti pie.
There’s no way to eliminate cheese from these baked pasta dishes. And who wants to, anyway? But the richest of pasta dishes can be lightened up and still be delicious, using reduced-fat cheese and our favorite substitute for ricotta cheese – fat-free cottage cheese. (See the chart for nutritional comparisons.)
For pasta dishes that require a cheese “sauce” such as macaroni and cheese, simply eliminate the traditional butter-based roux and make a substitute sauce with reduced-fat milk and flour (a pinch of nutmeg always helps boost the flavor of white sauces).
A word about reduced-fat cheeses: Fat-free cheeses do not melt well, and most have so little taste it’s not worth using them. Stick with the reduced-fat options for flavor and texture.
If you can’t eat pasta without meat, use lean ground turkey instead of ground beef in your sauces and meatballs. Italian turkey sausage is a great – healthier - substitute for traditional Italian sausage.
| Lighten up your gooiest, cheesiest pasta dishes
Just by using lighter substitutes for the traditional mozzarella and ricotta cheese fillings in the lasagna pictured here, we eliminated 266 calories and 22.5 grams of fat per serving! And it tastes delicious.
There are only two ways to lighten up your favorite meaty, cheesy pasta dishes: Eliminate or substitute the meat in the sauce, and eliminate or substitute the cheese and eggs. Substitutions will make a difference.
Consider a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce: 650 calories and 16 grams of fat. The same spaghetti (two cups) with marinara sauce only: 221 calories and 1.3 grams of fat. Meatballs? Turkey meatballs have half the calories and half the fat grams of traditional beef meatballs.
Reduced-fat cheeses are excellent substitutes for whole-milk versions. One ounce of part-skim mozzarella has 14 fewer calories and 1.5 fewer fat grams than whole-milk mozzarella. That doesn’t sound like much, but add in a substitute for ricotta cheese – fat-free cottage cheese – and your lasagna becomes a much healthier choice. Just don’t tell anyone the filling has cottage cheese in it, especially the kids.
Cottage cheese doesn’t taste like cottage cheese when it’s used in lasagna or other baked pasta dishes – we use it in baked ziti and stuffed shells, as well – it tastes like wonderful cheesy filling. If you like an egg in your cheese mixture, use egg substitute such as Egg Beaters. TRADITIONAL SUBSTITUTE
Whole milk Part Skim
Mozzarrella Mozzarella
(1 ounce) (1 ounce)
Calories 84 72
Fat grams 6.0 4.5
Ricotta Reduced-fat Fat Free
Cheese Ricotta Cottage Cheese
(1 cup) (1 cup) (1 cup)
Calories 428 339 180
Fat grams 32 19.5 0
Beef Meatballs Turkey Meatballs
(2) (2)
Calories 228 100
Fat grams 8.8 4.0
Italian Sausage Turkey Italian Sausage
1 3-oz link 1 3-oz link
Calories 268 132
Fat grams 21 7.4
Source: calorieking.com and caloriecount.com
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Spring Baked Pasta
2 cups uncooked macaroni or miniature penne
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, divided
2-1/2 cups reduced fat 2% milk
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups fresh peas
2 tbsp Italian-style breadcrumbs
Fat-free cooking spray
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse. Heat a few tablespoons of water in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add spinach, cover and cook until spinach is wilted, about two minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels. Coarsely chop spinach. (One package of frozen spinach can be substituted – thaw, drain and dry.)
Return skillet to medium heat, melt butter, add onions and garlic and sauté until softened, about five minutes. Add flour, stir quickly to combine with the vegetables, and gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook about three or four minutes until the mixture is bubbly. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese along with the oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Combine pasta, tomatoes, spinach, peas, cheese sauce and remaining one cup of grated Parmesan in a large bowl. Spray a 9 x 3 baking dish with fat-free cooking spray and spoon in pasta mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
--Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light
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Pasta Primavera Salad
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
Finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 cup grape tomatoes (about 16) halved
1 lb thin asparagus
1 cup snow peas
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
¼ cup finely-grated Asiago cheese
Combine first five ingredients (olive oil through garlic) in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Cook orzo according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Trim asparagus to about two inches from the tip. Trim stem ends of snow peas and blanch peas and asparagus in simmering water about three minutes. Transfer vegetables immediately to ice water to stop the cooking and keep them bright green.
Roast pine nuts in a 375-degree oven until golden, about five minutes, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Combine orzo and dressing in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, asparagus, peas, pine nuts and cheese and stir to combine. Allow salad to sit about 30 minutes, covered, for flavors to blend. Adjust seasoning if needed. Can be refrigerated overnight, covered. Remove salad from refrigerator about one-half hour before serving to allow it to come to room temperature. Serves 6-8 as main course.
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Baked Ziti
1 16-oz box ziti
6 cups marinara sauce
2 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese divided
1-1/2 cups fat-free cottage cheese
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese divided
1 tbsp oregano
¼ tsp ground red pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cook ziti according to package directions and drain. Mix cooked ziti with ½ cup of marinara sauce. Mix together 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, two tablespoons Parmesan cheese, oregano, red pepper and one tablespoon parsley.
Spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Add half the cooked ziti, spreading to an even layer. Spread a liberal layer of sauce over the pasta, and then spread the cheese mixture evenly on top. Add remaining ziti and spread another liberal layer of sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle top with remaining ½ cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for one hour or until bubbly (if you prefer a crunchy top, remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking time).
| Orzo With Basil and Parmesan
4 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups water
2 cups uncooked orzo
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Combine chicken stock and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook for nine minutes until al dente. Drain (but do not rinse). Combine cooked orzo, cheese and basil and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Note: Cheese and basil can be increased or decreased depending on your taste preference. Any kind of cheese and fresh herbs can be used, and this easy recipe can be an entrée with a green salad or a side dish.
| Mostaccioli With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 16-oz box mostaccioli
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup finely minced shallots
1 bottle (12 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp tomato paste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook mostaccioli according to package directions until al dente. In a large skillet heat olive oil and sauté shallots about 5 minutes until tender, add red peppers and cook a few minutes until heated through. Stir in vinegar and cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Remove from heat and cool 5-10 minutes. Puree mixture in food processor or blender until smooth, and return to saucepan over low heat. Combine tomato paste and milk, stirring to blend with a whisk. Add to pepper mixture and stir in cayenne pepper.
Combine pasta, sauce and cheese, tossing to coat. (Note: This pepper sauce also works nicely with bow-tie pasta and tortellini.
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