Healthy pasta sauce that tastes good and is good for you

Believe it or not, pasta dishes can be healthy. The trick is to limit the amount of rich — aka fatty — ingredients that are in the dish. And just because the meal is healthy, doesn’t mean it is tasteless.

On the contrary, healthy pasta dishes are flavorful, hearty and full of excitement. And once you have a few healthy pasta sauce recipes under your belt, you’re sure to look at pasta in a new way.

Pesto

Pesto is about as flavorful a sauce as you can get. Comprised mainly of herbs, this light sauce adds a major amount of flavor to your pasta. Simply pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a food processor or blender, along with three garlic cloves and 1/4 cup of pine nuts. Process this mixture until the garlic and nuts are small and the oil and other ingredients are well incorporated. Throw in about two cups of clean, fresh basil and process the mixture until it is thick and smooth. Toss in 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and mix it together.

The result is a fresh-tasting, vibrant sauce that you can simply serve over specialty pastas. You can also add chicken to the pasta, and the dish is still healthy and tasty.

Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are full of good things, so eating a sauce that is made of them is super healthy. And using fresh tomatoes really gives this sauce a wonderful taste.

To make this easy sauce, simply saute four cloves of crushed garlic in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. When the garlic becomes opaque, stir in 1 tbsp. of thick, crimson-colored tomato paste and 2 lbs. of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes.

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Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook the sauce for as long or little as you want. Over time, the tomatoes will start to break down; however, they can still be whole when you eat the dish; just think of it as extra texture.

Stir in 1 tbsp. of fresh, chopped basil when you are ready to serve the dish. Add the sauce to cooked whole grain pasta and you’ve got a healthy and tasty meal. For an even healthier sauce, toss in some cooked zucchini or squash.

Red Pepper Sauce

Red peppers are not only tasty, but they’re good for you, too. To make a sauce that is chock full of them, saute 1-1/2 cups of chopped onion in 2 tbsp. of olive oil, along with two cloves of minced garlic. When the onions and garlic are opaque, add two chopped red peppers.

Allow the ingredients to simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup of almonds into a food processor or blender and process until the almonds become fine. Then toss in your onion, garlic and pepper mixture, along with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar, 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Blend briefly to incorporate the ingredients.

Throw the sauce over pasta and you’ve got a delicious, filling meal that is healthy and tasty.

Remember the pasta

To really take advantage of eating a healthy pasta sauce, start with healthy pasta. Look for pasta that is made with whole-grains. These types are much healthier than the typical pasta and taste just as good.

Healthy pasta sauce is easy to make, and even easier to enjoy. Treat yourself to a meal that is satisfying, as well as healthy, by trying one of these recipes.

Resources:

AllRecipes.com: Tomato and Garlic Pasta

AllRecipes.com: Penne With Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli