The Role of Pasta
There are some true hard-core pasta-lovers. These people would just as soon sit down to a serving of plain pasta as anything they can think of. But for most of us, plain pasta doesn’t cut it – it’s the sauces and toppings we want most. For us, pasta is mostly a vehicle for other flavors. So we need to find a different vehicle to fill that role.Enter: Vegetables
Many vegetables are bland enough to use as a “blank canvas” for pasta sauces, and most of them are far more nutritious than pasta ever thought of being. Take the classic, spaghetti squash. Cup for cup, it has fewer than 25% of the calories and carbs of regular spaghetti (even whole wheat) – AND beats out the pasta in most nutrient categories. Calorie for calorie, it simply leaves pasta in the dust, nutritionally speaking. It’s delicious with pesto, creamy sauces, you name it. It can also be used in casseroles, like Turkey Tetrazinni. If you've never cooked spaghetti squash before, have no fear; it’s easy.Other veggies that serve as good “beds” for pasta sauces:
- Zucchini or other summer squash, shredded, julienned, or just cut into ribbons with a peeler.
- Cauliflower “Rice”
- Cabbage - shredded and sautéed (nice with a little sliced onion in it)
- Bean sprouts – lighted sautéed on their own, or throw them in with the cabbage for the final minute.
- Use your imagination – many veggies have compatible flavors with sauces, such as green beans with pesto sauce or eggplant strips with marinara.
Low Carb Asian Noodles
You may have to do some looking for these - or then again, maybe not. They are great for making Asian noodle dishes, and other dishes as well:Shirataki Noodles – More and more widely available, (the Safeway near me carries it, as well as health food stores) this stuff is something of a miracle food. The noodles are made from a plant called different things in different languages - you might see it called “yam noodle” or “Konnyaku”. The great thing about these noodles is that they are almost completely fiber – they hardly have any calories or carbs at all – plus there is some evidence that they may have other health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. It comes packaged in liquid, which you rinse off. If you run it under the hot water tap, it’s all ready to eat – no need to cook further! More about Shirataki Noodles and Where to Find Them
Tofu Noodles – I can only find these in Asian stores. Make sure that tofu is the only ingredient. Again, these come already cooked. I just put them in a strainer and run them under the hot water faucet while I separate them with my fingers. I use them for almost any pasta application, including pesto.
Low Carb Pastas
I have very little experience with the low carb pastas on the market, since I can’t eat wheat. But I do have one recommendation. Dreamfields Pasta does seem to be the genuine article – a low carb pasta that tastes and acts pretty much like regular pasta. My daughter can’t tell the difference, and many people, including diabetics who test their blood sugar after eating, say it works as advertised. I believe it is widely available now. It's a great choice for families where not everyone is eating low carb.Update 5/22/06: I've had an email from a diabetic who has pretty dramatic blood sugar spikes after eating Dreamfields, and she she knows of other diabetics who have similar experiences. This effect seems to be more likely when the pasta is reheated. So clearly, reactions to this product are variable - let the buyer be cautious! For a discussion about this product, check this Forum discussion. (In this discussion, we talk about the possibility that cooking the pasta with an acidic food such as tomato sauce may make the pasta more digestible.)
