It’s no secret that pasta is one of my favorite foods!
Here are some ideas to transform a simple bowl of pasta into a nourishing, satisfying meal:
🫘Add a source of protein. Some ways to do this are mixing beans, lentils, or vegan sausage into the pasta dish, preparing a separate protein to have on top (my favorite is tofu cutlets!), and blending beans, nuts, or seeds right into your sauce!
🥣Adding protein makes the meal more filling, nutritionally complete, and helps to sustain the energy we get from the carbohydrates in the pasta!
🥦Add veggies. I love that they can be mixed into pasta dishes for added flavor and texture, or blended right into the sauce for a deliciously creamy texture. Some of my personal favorites here are whole broccoli mixed into creamy pasta dishes (the florets absorb so much flavor!), and creamy veggie sauces featuring roasted garlic, onions, cauliflower, bell peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, and many more!
🍅Not only do veggies add their own unique flavor and texture flare to a pasta dish, they also add vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and lots of plant diversity to any meal🌿
🥑Include a source of fat. Flavorful extra-virgin olive oil is a natural addition to nearly any pasta dish, whether it is being used as the base of a sauce, or for sautéing/roasting veggies and other ingredients for the dish. Another tasty option is making a nut, seed, or avocado based cream sauce for the pasta- my go-to is a garlicky cashew cream! Vegan cheeses, such as ricotta or parmesan also complement a wide variety of pasta meals.
🧀Fat sources make meals make meals more satisfying in terms of flavor and texture, and also make them more filling. Fats are also essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K from other foods that may be in the dish.
🍝Choose a pasta type and shape that YOU love. From traditional semolina pasta to gluten-free legume pasta, and spaghetti to gnocchi, the options really are limitless. The simple most important choice here is choosing what you will actually enjoy (and perhaps what your recipe suggests, if following one!).
What are your favorite pasta dishes or add-ins?!
