Hey everyone! This is my second post and I thought I'd write about one of my favorite ways to make pasta which is including vegetables. Many of us are lacking in our vegetable intake of about 2.5 - 3 cups/day for most men and women.
How much counts as a cup? Typically about 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens counts.
SO! When many people make pasta, they typically fill a huge plate up of noodles, eat the whole thing and fall into a food coma. I myself feel gross, uncomfortable and have a lot of regret if I eat like this. Haven't you?
Did you know that 1/2 cup of cooked pasta is one serving? Have you ever measured 1/2 cup of anything? It's really not a lot of noodles! So if you're filling up your plate there's definitely 3 or more servings, but you're hungry!! You need it! Or do you?
^ An example of TOO MUCH PASTA
Adding vegetables makes it so easy for anyone who loves spaghetti. The fiber from the vegetables fill you up quickly (and it's also incredibly delicious). They provide you with so many vitamins and minerals, and are low in calories.
My favorite vegetables to add are squash, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, spinach, onion, and peppers. Sometimes I don't even use pasta because the vegetables are so tasty and filling. =) If you do use pasta, try the whole grain noodles! (Half your daily intake of grains should be whole grains).
So what I do is after cutting the vegetables in the desired size, I get a sauce pan, heat some oil to medium/high heat. Then toss the cut veggies in, sauté a bit, when they are softer I turn the heat down to medium and add the sauce. Use any pasta sauce you desire, add whatever spices and seasonings you love! I like to add garlic to the oil and then a little garlic powder, oregano and some basil to my sauce. Just cover the veggies with the sauce, mix, and cover. Continue mixing the veggies and sauce a few times for 5-10min, until cooked. You can test then by putting a fork through a piece and if it's still hard, let it continue to cook for a few more minutes. Then Add to about 1 cup of noodles (if you need more that's fine, but you can always come back for seconds) and ENJOY! =)
So colorful and delicious. This sauce includes squash, zucchini and green bell peppers.
Dietary recommended servings are based off the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You can find out more information at www.Choosemyplate.gov
Thanks for checking out my second post! I hope you take adding vegetables to your pasta dish into consideration if you don't already eat plenty =)