Three Healthy Pasta Recipe Tips
Pasta dishes probably originated about a thousand years ago, as the first reference to this dish dates to 1154 in Italy. It refers to a number of different dishes, most of them made from unleavened dough mixed with water and formed into shapes or sheets, then cooked. Although wheat flour is the most common ingredient, cereals or other grains can be used as well, and eggs can be used instead of water. Are you looking for healthy pasta dishes that you can cook for your family?
First, I would recommend that you try cooking manicotti. Manicotti is an italian pasta dish that is a flat noodle rolled and filled with cheese. Although you can purchase either the cheese or the dough premade, it is relatively easy and can be fun as an activity with children. You will need to look up manicotti pasta dish recipes, but to give you an idea, the dough is surprisingly simple and is a mix of flour, water, eggs and salt, and it is cooked like a crepe. The cheese mixture is just ricotta cheese mixed with mint leaves, salt, pepper, and other optional ingredients.
Second, if you are creating pasta dishes and want to give the meal a homemade and healthy touch, consider making your own sauce. If you want a more rich sauce, you can make a homemade white sauce using flour, butter, and milk. Children love this sauce. Melt the butter, then add in flour, stirring so that the mixture becomes thick. Add room temperature milk slowly, mixing everything together as you go.
If you want a tomato sauce, it will take a little longer but it will be well worth it. Plan on simmering the sauce for at least half an hour. If you are cooking for a small family, use two cans of plain tomato sauce. Cut up an onion and add to the mix. Add a small handful of sugar, taste testing until the sauce tastes less strong. Add pepper and a healthy dosage of oregano, and some salt as well.
Third, if you are trying to cut back on calories, consider adding something lighter to your pasta rather than butter or heavy sauces. Although tomato sauces are fairly healthy, pesto is a great option for helping people make light pasta dishes. Pesto packs a lot of flavor in a little bit of sauce. Minced garlic can also help with this.