You can’t go wrong with pasta. The versatile, budget-friendly noodle is an automatic crowd-pleaser. But it’s not always great for health-conscious eaters. Pasta is high in carbs, and the calories can stack up fast with toppings like cream-based sauces and cheese. The good news is there are ways to make pasta healthier without sacrificing the comfort food entirely. Here are 5 healthy takes on pasta from TikTok that will have you saying “that’s amore!”
Healthy green pasta
The filmer describes this pasta as “lean, green, and filled with protein” which is all you could ask for in a meal, right? He starts by cooking shallots, onions, broccoli, and a jalapeño with some cayenne pepper. He blends the cooked veggies with goat cheese, cilantro, and a splash of heavy cream and then pours the green sauce into a pan with cooked spaghetti noodles. Add some toasted pine nuts if you’re feeling fancy and you’ve got some green spaghetti worthy of Kermit himself.
Healthy creamy vegan pasta (gluten free)
This pasta reduces the calories that normally come with a creamy sauce by making a vegan sauce out of cashews, crushed tomatoes, almond milk, some pasta water, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. The filmer cooks the sauce with some fried onions and garlic before mixing it with her cooked chickpea pasta for a totally vegan and gluten-free pasta night!
Healthy creamy lemon pasta
This healthy pasta is simple yet flavorful. The filmer starts by cooking some mushrooms with garlic, herbs, and some lemon juice. She then adds a generous spoonful of natural Greek yogurt for a high-protein, low-calorie base for a creamy sauce. Finally she adds cooked pasta to the creamy lemon mushroom sauce and mixes it all together.
Healthy eggplant and walnut pesto pasta salad
This delicious healthy pasta makes a sauce out of blended walnuts, garlic, fresh thyme, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper. The filmer tosses the sauce into some cooked pasta and tops it with baked eggplant, feta, and fresh basil and parsley for a pasta dish worthy of a chef’s kiss.
Healthy low-carb spaghetti squash carbonara (keto-friendly)
Sometimes the least healthy part of a pasta dish are the noodles themselves. This recipe swaps actual spaghetti noodles for spaghetti squash to make this low-carb carbonara. First, cut your spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Then bake it at 400°F for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make a sauce by blending nut milk, nutritional yeast, ghee (which is a type of clarified butter), cashew butter, salt, and smoked paprika. Once your spaghetti squash is cooked, pour the sauce on it and top with some bacon and parsley! For a totally vegan version, just eliminate the bacon!
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