Healthy, tasty pasta recipes to try
In their new cookbook, Healthy Pasta, co-authors Joseph Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali dish the skinny on how to enjoy pasta dishes that are healthy and flavourful. Here are three recipes to try:
Breakfast Pasta Frittata
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
45 mL (3 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil 250 g (8 oz) turkey breakfast sausage links, removed from casings 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced 500 mL (2 cups) chopped scallions Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 5 large eggs 5 large egg whites 75 mL (1/3 cup) non-fat milk 250 mL (1 cup) fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped 125 mL (1/2 cup) freshly grated mild cheddar cheese 50 mL (1/4 cup) freshly grated Grana Padano 250 g (8 oz) spaghetti or other long pasta, cooked and cooled
Preheat broiler. In a medium non-stick ovenproof skillet over medium heat, add 15 mL (1 tbsp) of the olive oil. When oil is hot, add sausage and cook and crumble with a fork until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl. Add bell pepper to skillet and cook until almost tender, about 6 minutes. Add scallions and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Scrape sausage back into pan and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in parsley, cheddar and Grana Padano, reserving 15 mL (1 tbsp) of each cheese. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining 30 mL (2 tbsp) olive oil. Add spaghetti to the sausage and vegetables and stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spaghetti is golden in places, about 3 minutes. Pour in egg mixture and let cook until the bottom is set, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining 30 mL (2 tbsp) grated cheese. Broil until top is golden but not dry or wrinkly and frittata is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, but watch carefully — all broilers are different. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then slide onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Baked rigatoni with Creamy mushrooms and Squash
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
g (1 lb) mixed mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shiitake, oyster, chanter elle or porcini), thickly sliced (about 1.5 L/6 cups) mL (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt, to taste small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-cm (1/2-in.) cubes (about 750 mL/3 cups) 15 mL (1 tbsp) chopped fresh thyme leaves 30 mL (2 tbsp) unsalted butter 45 mL (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour 500 mL (2 cups) 1 per cent low-fat milk 250 mL (1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth 1 fresh bay leaf Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 500 g (1 lb) rigatoni 250 mL (1 cup) shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella 50 mL (1/4 cup) freshly grated Grana Padano
Preheat oven to 230 C (450 F) with two sheet pans on the top and bottom racks. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with 7.5 mL (1/2 tbsp) of the olive oil and season with salt. Spread on one of the preheated pans. Repeat with squash and remaining olive oil and season with salt and thyme. Spread on second sheet pan and roast both until browned and tender, stirring and switching pans from top to bottom halfway through cooking time, about 20 minutes in all. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to make a smooth paste. Let cook for 2 minutes to remove raw flour smell, then whisk in milk and chicken broth. Add bay leaf and nutmeg and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add rigatoni to boiling water. When pasta is very al dente, several minutes shy of the package cooking time, drain and rinse. In a small bowl, toss mozzarella and Grana Padano together. In a large bowl, combine pasta, white sauce and roasted vegetables and season with salt. Toss to coat pasta with sauce. Pour into a 33-by-23-cm (13-by-9in.) ceramic or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbly on edges and top is browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Gemelli with Pea and mint Pesto
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1 box (285 g/10 oz) frozen peas or 375 mL (11/2 cups) fresh shelled peas 250 mL (1 cup) loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves 250 mL (1 cup) loosely packed fresh mint leaves 45 mL (3 tbsp) pine nuts, toasted 1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled 50 mL (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil 125 mL (1/2 cup) freshly grated Grana Padano Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 500 g (1 lb) gemelli
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil for peas. Prepare a medium bowl with ice water for peas. When water is boiling, add peas to small saucepan and blanch until just tender, about 3 minutes for frozen, 5 minutes for fresh. Drain and plunge directly into ice water to cool and preserve bright green colour. Drain and pat dry. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine peas, parsley, mint, pine nuts and garlic. Process to make a coarse paste. With machine running, pour in olive oil and process to make a smooth, thick pesto. Add 125 mL (1/2 cup) pasta water and process again until smooth. Scrape pesto into a large serving bowl and stir in Grana Padano. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add gemelli to boiling water in large pot. When pasta is al dente, remove it and add directly to bowl, reserving pasta water. Rinse food processor work bowl with 125 mL (1/2 cup) pasta water to get the last bits of pesto and sprinkle over pasta. Toss well to coat pasta with pesto, adding a splash of pasta water if pasta seems dry. Serve immediately.