Pasta Recipe Please

10past6

Hello peeps

I'm starting to do home cooking, I'd like to have a go at cooking a low calorie / healthy pasta dish, does anyone have a pasta recipe with in instructions please?

Thanks

Uniscots97

Creamy carbonara without the cream and the calories (hope this helps!)

Ingredients:-
Spaghetti ( I normally allow 50-60g per person)
2 small (or 1 large) lean gammon steak chopped (can be substituted for equivalent weight of quorn pieces instead or lean chicken)
4 spring onions finely chopped
1 vegetable stock cube
350ml of skimmed milk
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
40g low fat grated cheese
1 tsp french mustard (trust me on this even if you don't like mustard!)
1 tsp chopped chives/chervil or parsley to serve
Method:-
In a large pan fill with boiling water and stir in stock cube until dissolved, add your spaghetti and cook for appropriate time according to packet instructions.
In a separate pan 'dry fry' the gammon and spring onions on a medium heat. Keep them moving by stirring so they don't stick to the pan. Once they are cooked, add 4-5 tablespoons of the vegetable stock (from the pan where the spaghetti is cooking) and gradually stir in the flour to make a paste (turn the heat down to low for this). Then stir in the milk gradually and keep stirring so that you end up with a smooth sauc with your gammon and spring onions in. Now add the cheese and stir in, this will help thicken the sauce. Once the cheese has melted into the sauce add the mustard, this will give the sauce a very creamy taste without overpowering the sauce with a mustard taste (do not use english mustard as it will overpower the other tastes). Stir through again. Drain your spaghetti and serve, lastly topped by one of the herbs mentioned above.
A portion of this contains roughly 450-500 calories (depending on the cheese you use this may vary) and under 5% fat.

10past6

Hi Unixgirluk

Thanks for that, no offence, but at this stage as straight forward as that recipe seems, it's streches my cooking limits a bit to far, although I have copied your recipe for when I become a more confident.

Once again, many thanks :A

ifonlyitwaseasier

how about tomato pasta?

cook the pasta as per the instructions, heat a tin of choppe dtomatos and add some italian herbs, about a tsp or two, and a crushed garlic clove.

tastes lovely and very healthy.

can add pre cooked bacon or ham to it for the meat eaters among us (me included) and serve with grated cheese on top.

10past6

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

how about tomato pasta?

cook the pasta as per the instructions, heat a tin of choppe dtomatos and add some italian herbs, about a tsp or two, and a crushed garlic clove.

tastes lovely and very healthy.

can add pre cooked bacon or ham to it for the meat eaters among us (me included) and serve with grated cheese on top.

Ah ha, great, that's within my capabilities :rotfl:

Thx :A

10past6

10past6 wrote: »

Ah ha, great, that's within my capabilities :rotfl:

Thx :A

Edit: forgot to ask, re the garlic, I have garlic cloves but not crusher, is there away I can add the garlic, should I slice it?

fifitesgirl

Hi there, this is a really easy dish that my family loves.
Cook your pasta (as much as required)
Meanwhile put some cherry tomatoes in an oven dish, cover with oil, season and cook in a hot oven until they are starting to burst.
In a frying pan cook some chopped bacon, mushrooms, leeks (can be substituted for onions) chop some tomatoes or anything else that you have in.
Drain pasta and put in mixing bowl. Add the bacon etc once cooked.
Add a tub of mascapone cheese and a teaspoon of dijon mustard.
Mix well.
Transfer to the oven dish with the cherry toms.
Top with grated cheese or mozarella.
Bake in oven until cheese is golden and bubbling.

Really easy, uses anything you have in that needs using up and more importantly is really easy, quick and delicious. I have cooked this for my family and for dinner parties etc. Never fails. Hope this helps.:D

ifonlyitwaseasier

use the side of the blade and squash the garlic and then chop til you can't chop no more.

i cheat and have some squeezy garlic (i know nto very old style) so normally just squeeze a little in.

Uniscots97

10past6 wrote: »

Hi Unixgirluk

Thanks for that, no offence, but at this stage as straight forward as that recipe seems, it's streches my cooking limits a bit to far, although I have copied your recipe for when I become a more confident.

Once again, many thanks :A

Try it, honestly its easy. Just make sure you have everything before you start.

Uniscots97

Your other choice is pasta bake, using a low fat soup as the sauce. Pre-cook the pasta, drain, add the soup, stir, pour into an oven proof dish, sprinkle top with breadcrumbs or even a little cheese and put in oven at 200C for about 20 mins. Best soups for the sauce:- mushroom, chicken, tomato or whatever your favourite is.

10past6

fifitesgirl wrote: »

Hope this helps.:D

fiftesgirl

Many thx, looks easy enough to try, well, for me :eek: