If you’ve been looking for a new way to eat pasta that provides the taste you love with a variety of health benefits, then you might want to try your hand at Mediterranean diet pasta. This delicious dish offers all the flavors of traditional Italian pasta dishes without some of the drawbacks like high carbs and sodium levels!
So what exactly is the Mediterranean diet? The basic principle behind this diet is that the ingredients should be unprocessed and contain very little sodium. This means no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or other chemicals. In addition, this diet also focuses on the inclusion of healthy fats in all meals and suggests a large number of servings of whole grains in each day.
In a nutshell, the Mediterranean diet is also known as the “slow-food lifestyle.” And while it might seem a little harder to get into than some of the more popular diets out there such as Paleo or Dukan, it does offer a host of health benefits.
The health benefits of Mediterranean diet pasta include support to maintain healthy skin, low cholesterol, and blood pressure levels and high levels of antioxidants. It also offers a smooth texture with very few calories in each serving. And if you’re looking for a tasty pasta dish to try, this one is the best!
So how can you begin to follow the Mediterranean diet pasta? The easiest way to kick off this new way of eating would be to simply choose healthier ingredients for your meals. For example, consider replacing traditional jarred spaghetti sauce with a homemade version. Then you can add your own personal touches by including healthy whole grains and low-fat dairy products in your meal.
Diet: the benefits of Mediterranean Diet Pasta
In addition to being relatively low in calories, pasta is also a great source of fiber, which helps you feel full faster and for longer. This appetite suppressant effect is further increased with wholemeal pasta, which is richer in fiber (and by the way even less caloric than other pasta). In addition, pasta contains a lot of complex carbohydrates: in other words, it is an important source of energy for the body for a reasonable calorie intake. Why deprive yourself of it? Moreover, many nutritionists and dieticians agree on the value of eating it during a diet. To go further, a “pasta diet” has even been developed. In general terms, it is mainly based on the consumption of one pasta dish without sauce or with a light sauce per day, many other foods being of course also allowed (eg: fruits, vegetables, meat, fish). On the other hand, the use of fat and sugar is minimized. Maximum duration of this regime: 1 month, with prior medical advice.
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How To Make The Mediterranean Diet Pasta
Description
The Mediterranean diet pasta recipe below offers a variety of colors and flavors. It was prepared using only healthy ingredients, mainly whole grain pasta, and fresh vegetables. The veggies added in this dish include onions, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes. And the herbs used to season the dish were rosemary, oregano and basil. The recipe is gluten-free as it excludes all cereals such as grains or wheat flour from being used in this dish.
The Mediterranean diet pasta recipe is extremely easy to prepare and offers a great deal of health benefits. For those of you looking for a pasta dish to try, this one can't be beat!
Ingredients
Instructions
Pasta
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Cook pasta for 10 minutes according to the directions on the package.
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Add 1 cup of water per 4 ounces of pasta and cook until al dente
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Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid before adding the pasta to a large serving bowl.
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Add the remaining 1/2 cup of butter to the cooking liquid for extra flavor.
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Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the rosemary, basil and oregano leaves. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring often.
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Add the zucchini, carrots and salt. Cook until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
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Stir in the tomato paste and any remaining butter from the skillet. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat well with the sauce.
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Serve with slices of thinly sliced onion over top as garnish if desired.
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 251
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 23.4g36%
- Saturated Fat 14.6g73%
- Cholesterol 61mg21%
- Sodium 474mg20%
- Total Carbohydrate 10.39g4%
- Dietary Fiber 2.6g11%
- Sugars 4.7g
- Protein 2.6g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
