The Dish on Pasta – Healthy Carbs that Fill You Up Without Weighing You Down

Pasta has been unjustly criticized in recent years as a leading culprit in the rise of obesity. It has been attacked as a (gasp!) carbohydrate, a food group to be avoided by ill-advised proponents of the Atkins style diet.

Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet and ounce for ounce contain fewer calories than either fat or alcohol. In Italy, where pasta is eaten at least once a day, people enjoy one of the lowest rates of obesity in the world, 8.5 percent as compared to 30.6 percent in the US.

The fact is pasta is a healthy carbohydrate and a central component of the Mediterranean diet, widely considered to be one of the best lifestyles for maintaining a healthy weight.

Unlike wheat used to make bread, pasta is made from durum, a hybrid of wild grasses and an entirely different species with different a type of gluten.  Like kamut, durum is much older than modern bread wheat, which has been domesticated to a far greater degree.

Pasta has a low glycemic index (GI), a measure of how fast glucose, a sugar from carbohydrates is absorbed into the bloodstream. Pasta has a 25 to 45 GI, which places it in the range of many fruits and vegetables.

One reason why pasta gets a bad rap is not because of what it is, but what it is topped with. Oftentimes, chunks of butter, cheese sauces and meat contribute excess fat, calories and cholesterol that clog the arteries and transform healthy pasta into something far less desirable.

Studies have found that pasta prepared with tomato-based sauces may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Lycopene, is a potent antioxidant in tomatoes. This powerful phytonutrient repairs damaged cells in the body and prostate cancer risk has been shown to be lower in men who eat tomato products frequently. [1] [2]

Bowties Cannellini is a delicious dish made with Farfalle, bowtie or butterfly shaped pasta, spinach and cannellini beans in a tasty tomato sauce.

This dish is low in fat, high in protein and fiber and rich in phytonutrients. 1 1/4 cups of cooked bowtie pasta (3/4 cup dry) contains just 210 calories and 1 gram of fat.

Cannellini beans are white kidney beans similar to navy beans and are called haricots in Britain. An excellent source of iron, magnesium, and folate, one cup of cannellini beans contains more than 15 grams of protein, only 225 calories and less than one gram of fat.

This dish has great eye-appeal and comes together quickly. Just cook up the pasta and toss the spinach into the boiling water in the last 2 minutes, while making the tasty tomato sauce with just 4 ingredients.

Bowties Cannellini
12 Servings

1 (16 ounce pkg) bowtie pasta (Faralle)
4 quarts water, 1 Tablespoon each olive oil and salt
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 (28 ounce jar) tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz can) Mexican Stewed Tomatoes
1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
6 ounces of water
1 (15 ounce can)

Bring the water, oil and salt to a boil, add pasta, bring to a second boil, reduce heat to medium high and cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach and cook two minutes, or until pasta is al dente.   While pasta is cooking, place tomato sauce in a 3-quart saucepan over medium low heat.  Place stewed tomatoes in a small blender, pulse lightly and add to the tomato sauce.  Spoon tomato paste into pan, stirring after each addition and then fill the tomato paste can with water and add. Reduce heat to low and simmer, add cannellini beans and cook tomato sauce until ready to serve, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and place in large bowl, add several ladles of sauce and toss to mix. Top with additional sauce and serve.

Bowties Cannellini
Nutrition Analysis: per 2 cup serving
Calories 221, Protein 9g, Carbohydrate 43g, Fiber 5g, Fat 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Calcium 64mg, Sodium 175mg.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV. Follow Marie on Twitter

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[1] Van Breemen RB, Xu X, Viana MA, et al. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of cis- and all-trans-lycopene in human serum and prostate tissue after dietary supplementation with tomato sauce. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 2002.50(8):2214-9.

[2] Chen L, Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis M, Duncan C, et al. Oxidative DNA damage in prostate cancer patients consuming tomato sauce-based entrees as a whole-food intervention. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2001;93(24):1872-9

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