Fraternizing With the Enemy

So every girl who has ever thought about her weight has been told that pasta is fattening. This whole fear of carbs has everyone avoiding pasta like its the plague. But is this fear really valid? Sure some pastas aren't that great for you (I'm talking the white kind) but I think it is all about how you cook it and how much you eat.

I decided this week to venture into the unknown land of pasta. I picked Catelli Spinach Fettuccine because I was in a rush at the grocery store, saw it was green and in my mind green=healthy. I now realized I didn't make the best choice. The pasta I chose is great because it has 20% of your daily iron, 11g of protein, 3g of fibre and other nutrients. But, I could have gone with the whole wheat pasta which is actually better for you because the spinach pasta is only spinach flavoured (grocery marketing fooled me again).

But why am I talking about nutrients? Everyone is wondering about the CARBS. So like I said the pasta I got, was not so great (64 g of carbohydrates) but if you chose whole grain pasta there is only 17 g. Not really sure what that means? There is 17g of carbs in a single slice of whole grain bread, 25g in an apple, and 37g in a baked potato!

So perhaps its time we realize pasta is not the devil, and there are nutritious ways to cook it. In the meantime lets enjoy a not-so-healthy way to make it.

Ok so this recipe is called "Fettuccine with Spinach Mushroom Sauce" but mushrooms are squishy and weird so I used zucchini instead. Also this recipe was says it serves 2 but I had so much sauce left over I say it serves 4, so adjust the quantities if you need to.

Serves 4:
Fettuccine for 4 people (see package directions)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 fresh garlic clove, chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced and chopped into halves
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 cup baby spinach
2 tbsp. water
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup romano or parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Chop zucchini and steam in microwave for 4-5 min.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a skillet, heat oil on high for 1 min. Add garlic, zucchini, and onion and stir. Cook for 2 min.
3. Turn heat to medium, add spinach and water. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 min.

4. In a large serving bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, milk, and pepper. Add hot spinach mixture and toss well. Spoon on to drained pasta and enjoy!

Mmmmmm, look at that creamy goodness. So please, enjoy and don't even let the word carbs cross your mind.