Who says you can’t have pasta? Yes, it’s a starch, and yes, we don’t need much of it, but why does pasta have to be a bad thing?

Pasta can be one of the healthiest entrées placed on the dinner plate, but it all depends on the fixings! Many healthy pasta recipes consist of spaghetti squash, which makes for a tasty pasta dish.

There are other ingredients that can be used in your pasta dish that will actually provide a noodle texture without a ton of starch.

What type of noodles are healthiest?

If using regular noodles it’s best to use whole wheat or whole grain pasta noodles so that your pasta will be full of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates break down slowly in your body providing longer, lasting energy.

Just remember to look at the ingredients to make sure that the first ingredient listed is whole. Using regular pasta noodles will make for a healthy dish, but the starch tends to add up depending on the type of sauce used.

When there is an abundance of starch required and/or needed for one recipe, you may want to substitute the noodles for a lower carbohydrate noodle, especially if you’re in the mood for bread or wine with your pasta.

This way, you can still have your pasta dish and keep it lower in starchy carbohydrates at the same time.

Pasta Zero Noodles

My favorite noodle replacement is Nasoya Shirataki Pasta Zero Noodles, which can be found in fettuccini or spaghetti noodles. These noodles make for a delicious, low carbohydrate and low calorie pasta dish.

Shirataki noodles are Japanese noodles that have been a well-kept secret from us pasta lovers. These noodles are perfect for a lower calorie substitution meeting 4g total carbohydrates for 2/3cup cooked noodles, wheras 1/3 cup cooked whole wheat pasta noodles will have at least 15g carbohydrates.

Whole wheat is an excellent source of pasta noodles and should be the main noodle used for any pasta dish. However, a lower carbohydrate meal is, at times, needed — and that’s where pasta zero noodles can make a difference.

These noodles can be hard to find, but can always be ordered online and are well worth the buy!

Italian Pasta Zero Noodle Recipe

Yields: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

• ⅔ cup cooked pasta zero noodles (can use fettuccini or spaghetti noodles)  
• ¼ cup fat-free half and half
• 2 Tbsp light parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes  
• 1 cup baby spinach   
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 1 Tbsp canola oil 
• 2 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bake your chicken at 350º for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Be sure to start the chicken before you start your sauce so it can be close to done by the time the pasta sauce and pasta zero noodles are done.
2. Heat canola oil on medium in skillet and add the spinach, tomatoes, and capers stirring until vegetables are coded with oil.
3. Stir in half & half and parmesan cheese and simmer on low to keep warm. Add salt and pepper for taste to your liking.
4. Cook pasta zero noodles according to package directions.
5. When the chicken is done, wait for it to cool a bit then shred the chicken to your liking and mix in with the sauce while it’s warming.
6. After the pasta noodles are boiled and drained, add ⅔ cup to your skillet sauce mixture then transfer to a bowl and garnish with parsley! Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION

Carbohydrates: ~23g  |  Protein: ~29g  |  Fat: ~17g