Pasta and veggies: a winning pair!

It isn’t always easy to fill half your plate with veggies when you’re eating pasta.  It’s always possible to include a side salad or soup or to add sautéed veggies to the dish, but have you considered adding veggies to your sauce? For a touch of originality, we’re ditching the tomato and trying one of the following three suggestions!

Squash

Squash allows you to create a creamy and gourmet sauce thanks to its texture, as well as adding a sweet touch and a bunch of nutrients! For a great pasta sauce try using butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin for example.  All you have to do is cut the squash in half, and bake in the oven at 375F for about 45 minutes, depending on its size.  A little time saving trick: you can also cook the squash in the microwave.  Once your squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh with a spoon and puree with a hand blender. This reinvented macaroni and cheese will convince you to add butternut squash to your sauce, simple and delicious!

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables. You can roast it, turn it into bites, have it as fried rice, and even as your pizza crust. You can also cook it and puree it to create a white sauce, alfredo style, like in this great recipe for a smarter fettucine alfredo.

Cauliflower allows you to transform a white sauce, usually high in fat, into a super nutritious sauce, boosted with veggies. We love it!

Avocado

Avocado is perfect for a creamy, rich and savoury sauce. While it may be a fruit higher in calories than other fruits and veggies, it’s very rich in nutrients and keeps you feeling full because of its fibre and healthy fats. Avocado is a winning choice to add to your meal. Get inspired by this recipe for avocado spaghetti, as well as whatever else you have in your friends to put together a great meal in minutes.

How do you include veggies in your pasta?

Written by Marie-Ève Caplette, Registered Dietitian and Half Your Plate Campus ambassador