Are you ready to be creative to incorporate more nutrients into your pasta diet? Try mixing the spiral vegetables. Add fiber and nutrients, colors and textures to turn plain spaghetti into a meal for guests.
Adding vegetables to pasta can also help when trying to reduce food costs and waste. It’s a great way to use up the vegetables behind the fridge or at the bottom of the produce drawer.
In this recipe, vegetable and whole wheat pasta increase fiber to 11.5 grams per serving.
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The Medical Laboratories recommends that women consume 25 grams of fiber per day. Men need to get 38 grams. However, Americans weigh only 15 grams per day on average. Dietary fiber is important for maintaining a healthy lower gastrointestinal tract, preventing constipation, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, and regulating blood sugar levels. It also keeps you feeling full and reduces your risk of several cancers, including heart disease and colorectal cancer.
A good source of dietary fiber is vegetable foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Adding at least one of these food groups to every meal or meal will help meet the recommended guidelines.
In this delicious recipe, spiral carrots and whole grain spaghetti are topped with hearty ragout made from turkey minced meat, canned tomatoes, green onions, celery and spices. If you don’t have a spiral riser, use a vegetable peeler to cut the carrots into long, thin ribbons.
Bethany Thayer is a dietitian nutritionist registered with the Henry Ford Health System. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog and email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org for questions about today’s recipes.
Turkey rug on carrots and spaghetti
Saab: Four/ Preparation time: 20 minutes / total time: 50 minutes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 pieces of garlic, finely diced
1 large chopped green onion
Two finely chopped celery stems
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz turkey minced breast
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 cans (15 ounces each) Additive-free salted diced tomatoes
8 oz whole grain spaghetti, dry
12 ounces of carrots, peeled and scraped into thin ribbons or spiraled
¼ cup of shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
Pour water into a 5 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Heat olive oil in a large (14 inch) frying pan over medium heat and add garlic, green onions, celery, pepper and salt. Boil for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add turkey, stir and chop finely until browned. Add cinnamon and tomatoes, stir until well mixed and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Place the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the package. Add carrots in the last minute of cooking time.
When the pasta is al dente (cooked but a little firm), drain the pasta and divide it evenly into 4 plates. Place turkey rugs on pasta and carrots and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese and 1/2 tablespoon of chopped parsley on each.
From Henry Ford Live Well.
460 calorie (15% from fat), 8 grams obesity (2 grams I sat down.obesity), 64 grams carbohydrate34 grams protein455 mg sodium46 mg cholesterol237 mg calcium, 11.5 grams fiber. Food exchange: 2 starch, 3 1/2 protein, 3 vegetable.
