If you are trying to lose weight, but find it hard to resist having pasta, then you aren’t alone. If a common misconception, that all pasta are bad, and even some so-called “dieticians” also advise people not to have pasta if they want to lose weight. The truth is— pasta isn’t bad at all. As long as you eat pasta in small portions, and avoid all types of sugar and cream-based sauces, pasta can actually be good for you.
Pasta is low in fat and high in protein. And for all those long workout sessions, the complex carbohydrates, found in pasta, will help you. Here are a few healthy, delicious and low-fat pasta recipes for you to enjoy, while you lose weight. You don’t need the best pasta maker or be a pasta chef to make these recipes. They are simple, healthy and easy to follow recipes. Enjoy!
1. Farfalle with Chicken & Pesto
(This recipe only serves four people)
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. Farfalle
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1/2 lb. fresh green beans with trimmed ends
- 2 cups grilled chicken
- 1/2 cup low-fat pesto sauce
Directions:
Cook pasta accordingly to instructions, drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Now, place green beans in a shallow pan with enough water and steam over medium heat for 15 minutes. Drain the water. Next, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine pasta, pesto, water, green beans and chicken in a large bowl and stir properly. Serve.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- 539 calories
- 79 g carbohydrate
- 8 g fat
- 40 g protein
- 4 g fiber
2. Whole Wheat Penne with Kale & Cannellini Beans
This recipe only serves four people
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. whole-wheat penne
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 lb. chopped kale
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 14-oz. cannellini beans can
- 1/2 cup chicken broth/ reserved pasta water
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Salt
Directions:
Cook pasta accordingly to instructions and drain the water. Now, coat a large skillet using a nonstick cooking spray and sauté the minced garlic for two minutes over medium heat. Then add kale, red pepper flakes, salt and sauté about eight more minutes, or until the kale is tender. Drain it and rinse the cannellini beans and add to kale mixture along with broth and pasta. Stir properly and serve.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- 353 calories
- 68 g carbohydrate
- 3 g fat
- 15 g protein
- 11 g fiber
3. Soba Salad
This recipe only serves four people.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. soba noodles
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 medium sliced cucumber
- 1 medium shredded carrot
- 4 green sliced onions
Directions:
Cook the soba noodles according to instructions. Drain and rinse using cool water. Now, whisk together vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil to make a sauce. Finally, add noodles, cucumber, carrot, and sauce, in a large bowl. Dress it by sprinkling green onions on top.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- 250 calories
- 43 g carbohydrates
- 5 g fat
- 10 g protein
4. Rice Noodles with Steak
This recipe only serves four people.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. rice noodles
- 8 oz. flank steak and cut into thin strips
- 8 oz. sugar snap peas with trimmed ends
- 1/2 cup teriyakis stir-fry sauce
- Nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
Prepare rice noodles according to instructions and drain the water. Now, coat a nonstick wok pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the flank steak 5-8 minutes over medium heat. Now, sauté peas for 3-5 minutes or until the edges turn slightly brown. Now, add steak, noodles and teriyaki sauce to the pan and cook another minute to heat through.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- 331 calories
- 56 g carbohydrate
- 3 g fat
- 19 g protein
- 4 g fiber
5. Baked Ravioli
This recipe only serves six people.
Ingredients:
- 2 pcs. Of 9 oz. packages chicken ravioli
- 2 cups chunky tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cook the pasta according to instructions, in such as way that it floats on the top of the saucepan. Drain it. Add the pasta to pan and add tomato sauce, stirring properly. Later, pour the pasta mixture into a casserole dish previously coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with mozzarella cheese and bake 15 minutes, until the cheese turns slightly golden.
Nutrition Facts (Single Serving):
- 157 calories
- 20 g carbohydrate
- 5 g fat
- 9 g protein
- 3 g fiber
Author Bio: Calvin P. Floyd is a well-rounded blogger who has a wide variety of interests and specializes in doing in-depth research for every project. He is an expert in doing in-depth market research and also a notorious blogger/writer. He provides an absolute commitment to excellence and strives to provide the best quality work possible by all means. He currently is a blogger for pastamakerguide.com in a genuine effort to provide the best quality content to his readers.