Delicious pasta doesn’t have to be packed with calories. There are so many ways to make healthy pasta recipes with ingredients that fit into a healthy lifestyle.
Giving up foods you love when you’re trying to lose weight makes it hard to stick to a healthy lifestyle. That’s why at Get Healthy U, we don’t subscribe to diets or deprivation; instead, we are all about enjoying the foods you love but just making them healthier.
And let’s be honest; there are so many things to love about pasta; this comfort food makes for a quick weeknight dinner, an easy option for lunch meal prep, and it’s inexpensive!
With some simple swaps and adding loads of fresh vegetables, you can turn a humble box of noodles into a healthy and satisfying meal you can feel good eating!
Healthy Pasta Recipes
Roasted Tomato & Artichoke Pesto Pasta
This colorful pesto pasta is full of veggies and flavor—without any oil or cholesterol you’d find in traditional pesto. The quick, throw-it-together sauce is made creamy and nutty with walnuts, refreshing with basil, and lightly garlicky with – yep! – garlic. Just about every vegetable makes an appearance here; kale, arugula, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, red pepper and mushrooms each shine boldly atop the bright green, whole-grain pasta.
Butternut Squash Noodles with Chicken and Roasted Red Peppers
If you’ve never tried vegetable noodles, you’re about to be hooked. I love to use my Spiral Vegetable Slicer – I use it to make noodles, pizzas, and casseroles galore with all sorts of different veggies but this particular butternut squash noodles recipe is one of my absolute favorites.
Lemon Swiss Chard Pasta
A quick and easy vegetarian weeknight pasta made with lemon, garlic, and Swiss chard. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. Capers and green olives give the sauce just the right balance of flavor and acidity. Can be made vegan or gluten-free with a couple of simple swaps.
Beef Stroganoff with Potato Noodles
Warm up with this creamy Beef Stroganoff recipe that uses potato noodles as the base. This dairy-free, grain-free recipe is full of rich deep flavors and very satisfying. The coconut milk creates such a rich sauce you won’t believe it’s not cream.
Creamy pumpkin, sage, broccolini and, kale pasta
Pumpkin and pasta? Yes, please! This combination will fill you up but is also lower in fat and calories and high in essential micro-nutrients – hooray!
Light Lemon Pesto Pasta
Light yet full of flavor, this pesto is perfect tossed with hot spaghetti for a quick and low-calorie pasta dinner.
Simple Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
This healthy pasta is fast and easy to make, ready in under thirty minutes. While this pasta is all about the roasted red peppers, the sun-dried tomatoes really add another depth of flavor! Something about their sweetness and intense flavor just adds so much to the recipe!! You’ll be making this sauce on repeat!
Asian Noodle Edamame Salad with Peanut Dressing
When it comes to eating healthy, we want to make sure what we’re making to nourish our body, still packs major flavor. This Asian Noodle Edamame Salad is the perfect example of that. We loaded this dish with tons of good for you veggies like red pepper, carrots, purple cabbage, edamame and topped it with
Bangkok Peanut Mango Pasta.
You have to try this delicious healthy meal. I can make it in just 15 minutes, and dinner is done… so my kind of meal. Plus, there are practically zero cleanups.
Spicy Sausage And Brussels Sprouts Pasta
This easy vegetarian pasta features spicy plant-based sausage, crispy sage, and brussels sprouts. It takes less than 30 minutes to make! The creamy sauce is flavored with onions and garlic—and comes together while the pasta cooks. (Vegan option, Gluten free option)
Pappardelle with Artichoke & Almond Sauce, Purple Kale & White Asparagus
With a drizzle of olive oil, a handful of almonds, and a heaping spoonful of green vegetables, this dish embodies the Mediterranean diet similar to the diet of those on the island of Ikaria.
Creamy Spinach Sweet Potato Noodles with Cashew Sauce
You have to try these caramelized sweet potato noodles! Gently sautéed spinach and a good dose of creamy cashew sauce tossed together for a really comforting weeknight vegetarian/vegan meal. It’s thick and creamy and it’s super satisfying!
Farmers’ Market Pasta with Walnut Pesto
Farmer’s Market Pasta! Vegan, summer veggie-loaded pasta with roasted garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and a big dollop of herby walnut pesto. There are endless combinations to this delicious pasta, I know you’ll love it as much as I do!
Pro Tips For Making Healthy Pasta
- You can make any pasta recipe gluten-free by choosing the best noodles. I have tried SO MANY gluten-free pasta brands, and these are my favorites because they hold their form, taste great, and are made with superior ingredients: Tolerant Lental Pasta and Banza Chickpea Pasta.
- If you’re looking to sneak vegetables past kids (or picky adults!), you can also easily puree and grate your favorites into any recipe!
- If you want to skip the noodle part of your pasta altogether, try making a noodle alternative with a spiralizer or using spaghetti squash!
2 Comments
Karen on March 18, 2024 at 12:45 PM
Could you please give me your recipe for Easy avocado mac and cheese with sun dried tomatoes, thankyou!
Chris Freytag, CPT on March 19, 2024 at 9:54 PM
Well - we don't have a recipe for an easy avocado Mac and Cheese with sun dried tomatoes - but I am going to look for one because that sounds amazing!