Many think of pasta as an indulgent, carby food- now carby, maybe. But indulgent and heavy- it doesn’t have to be! In fact, traditional Italian pasta is not only lighter and more flavourful, but also not nearly as calorie-dense as the recipes all over social media which use double cream and masses of seed oils. Here are a few tips to make your pasta slightly lighter (and more tasty):
- Replace seed oils with olive oil and nothing but.
Firstly (and most importantly), in Italy they would shoot you for this! Secondly, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats. These are heart-healthy fats known to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), while maintaining and even raising good cholesterol (HDL). On the other hand, seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which can cause inflammation linked to heart problems.
- Replace double cream with some traditional Italian tactics.
Believe it or not, that delicious carbonara you had at your local Italian did not contain one drop of double cream! In traditional carbonara, egg and pecorino cheese are used to create that silky, scrumptious sauce. In fact, you can bet any of your other creamy favourites involve Italian cheeses rather than cream, such as parmesan and ricotta.
- Add some protein!
One of the main problems with pasta is that it is very carb-heavy. While Italians don’t traditionally use chicken in their dishes, this is a great way to add some protein to give your body the balance it needs. If you’re not keen on chicken, seafood pasta is also delicious and very high in protein- so grab some prawns, squid and mussels and get cooking!
Need some inspiration to get started? Check out our Easy Chilli, Garlic, Lemon and Parsley Pasta
Good Nick 
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