Sides for pasta dishes

katelouc

Hi,

I love a pile of pasta so thinking that correct portions aren't going to be filling on their own. Can anyone suggest a filling and healthy side dish? Salad obviously but anything else??
Thanks
Kate

meredithcockman

I like to roast vegetables. I take broccoli, green beans, or carrots and drizzle them with oil, sprinkle with seasoning and parmesean cheese, and cook at a high temperature (like 450) until tender. Carrots take a while, but broccoli and green beans take about 15 minutes.

Francl27

Just a bag of frozen veggies. But honestly 1.5 serving of pasta is enough for me now (or a bit less even, although one is definitely not enough). Just because a 'serving' is 2oz doesn't mean I can't fit 3 in my calories.

InForBacon

Bacon

BarbellsDumbbellsNCupcakesOHMY

Asparagus!!!! Pairs well with most sauces. Other ones, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers. Mmmmm...

dklibert

Maybe try a veggie soup as a starter? soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2013/09/yellow-bell-pepper-soup.html

I also suggest broccoli and asparagus. Broiled tomatoes would be good too. Just slice the tomato, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese, herbs or even bacon and broil until cheese is hot and bubbly.

arditarose

I'm no cook so I don't want to tell you what I eat with pasta...but, I usually think of the pasta as my side dish and go from there. It's helpful and 200 calories worth of pasta is like...nothing.

lovematthewchristopher

I am a carb junky, so i have the same problem. I love my pasta, and only being on day 40 of MFP i am still having a hard time with cutting down the portions. I have been doing some research and have come across a few people that now substitute speghetti squash instead of pasta. They say it is very filling, and pairs well with any pasta sauce. I think i will be trying it next. I love veggies, so i'm game!

Alatariel75

I tend to mix vegies in with my pasta, so they all get coated with the sauce. Steamed cauli flower, zucchini, asparagus - if it is a tomato based pasta I'll have capsicum or mushrooms and well.

HeidiCooksSupper

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I tend to mix vegies in with my pasta, so they all get coated with the sauce. ...

^^^this^^^

Stretch the volume of the pasta by adding lots of stuff to it. That way you have a big pile of food but a lot of it is veggies. Another idea is to make some version of "pasta fazool" -- pasta and beans mixed together. You up the protein and fiber if have the bowl is 1/2 beans instead of noodles.

This works not only for pasta but for rice, too. Tonight we're having 1/2 lentils-1/2 rice medley tossed with the "sauce" -- which is spinach, tuna, and cheese -- see my diary for a full list of ingredients.

FatFreeFrolicking

Vegetables!

NewMeSM75

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I tend to mix vegies in with my pasta, so they all get coated with the sauce. Steamed cauli flower, zucchini, asparagus - if it is a tomato based pasta I'll have capsicum or mushrooms and well.

Agreed.

I'm also a pasta lover. I roast my vegetables to bulk up my pasta. I refuse to give up my pasta. I just love it. But sometimes I will substitute zucchini for the pasta or part of it. Also, most of the time, I make my pasta with a fresh tomato sauce.