THIS is what a serving of pasta looks like...

1235

Replies

  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,261 MFP Moderator
    edited May 2019
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    Alrighty, folks.... This thread (and her face) have been lightly cleaned to remove personal commentary (and possibly marinara sauce). We're talking pasta here - there is no need to go off topic to address individual's eating habits, personal finances, level of comprehension, etc. I direct you to our community guidelines, which some of you may wish to familiarize yourselves with so that you don't end up with warnings. Please, for the love of pasta, click the link and review them... and play nice.

    If your post was removed and you don't understand why, feel free to PM me and we can discuss.
    Thanks,
    Em
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    I lived in a three family once where the guy on the 3rd floor would eat a half pound of absolutely plain, boiled elbow macaroni most every night for dinner. No veges, no meat, no nothing other than the macaroni. He said is was "fuel, man, just fuel." He was a bit of a stoner.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    When I eat pasta, I always overdo it. I fully load a 10 inch plate an inch or two high and cover it in a heavy layer of sauce and about 2 tubs of parmesan cheese.
    Afterward, I'm bloated and disgusted with myself but only for an hour or two and then I'm hungry again.

    And as a real man, I can verify that what the manliest of taste buds crave is a perfectly aged ribeye, marinated in Dale's sauce and grilled over charcoal and hickory chips until there's a perfect amount of smokey char around the edges of the fat. I know this to be true because my taste buds are the manliest taste buds of all and this is exactly what I want for supper.
    I'd say I also want a side of mac and cheese since we're talking pasta but I'd be lying. I want buttery corn instead.

    That gives me an idea...
    We have "vegan meats" that aren't meat but try to imitate it. What if we had carnivore pasta? It imitates pasta but it's actually steak. High protein, satiating pasta with larger serving sizes.
    I should patent this...

    Or wait for limited edition Oreo flavor "spaghetti and meatballs".

    Steakghetti and meatballs for supper. Oreoghetti and Oreo balls for dessert.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited May 2019
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    When I eat pasta, I always overdo it. I fully load a 10 inch plate an inch or two high and cover it in a heavy layer of sauce and about 2 tubs of parmesan cheese.
    Afterward, I'm bloated and disgusted with myself but only for an hour or two and then I'm hungry again.

    And as a real man, I can verify that what the manliest of taste buds crave is a perfectly aged ribeye, marinated in Dale's sauce and grilled over charcoal and hickory chips until there's a perfect amount of smokey char around the edges of the fat. I know this to be true because my taste buds are the manliest taste buds of all and this is exactly what I want for supper.
    I'd say I also want a side of mac and cheese since we're talking pasta but I'd be lying. I want buttery corn instead.

    That gives me an idea...
    We have "vegan meats" that aren't meat but try to imitate it. What if we had carnivore pasta? It imitates pasta but it's actually steak. High protein, satiating pasta with larger serving sizes.
    I should patent this...

    I'm curious about this concept, but I hesitate at the idea of spiralizing my meats.

    I do like some pasta. I like a bulky sauce for it. Big chunks of veggies and some ground beef/beans. Makes it much easier (for me) to work into my calorie and macro targets.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Ya I'm not really a fan of pasta without a lot of stuff in it to bulk it up. But even still, I eat probably double that amount. I guess I don't really GAF what the "serving size" is as long as the calories fit. When I eat chicken parmesan, that's about the amount of noodles that i eat with it, but I also eat like half a chicken breast.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    My minimalist pasta is butter, diced medium boiled eggs, and parm. It is comfort food.

    Under normal conditions I can't eat pasta unless I also eat 50 percent of the pasta carbs worth of protein. Otherwise I will just be hungry again a couple of hours later.
  • Kitsgirl2
    Kitsgirl2 Posts: 18 Member
    When I have pasta, I have 1/2 cup with loads of veggies and 1 tbsp. or two of parmesan cheese. I'll throw in a couple of shrimp if I have the calorie count room or 2 oz of meat.

    Can't even imagine how many calories I must have been eating when I ate a pasta dinner with meat sauce in a large bowl. But its what we have to do. When I'm closer to my ideal weight which isn't happening until later next year, I can afford a cheat day and have a larger serving.

    By the way if you want a fantastic gluten free pasta, try the Garofalo brand if you can find it. Fantastic and you'll never know it was GF.
  • Roza42
    Roza42 Posts: 246 Member
    sammidelvecchio wrote: »
    The only thing sadder is learning the correct serving size of peanut butter :s

    I was actually happy when I did. It was much larger than I thought.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.
  • Unknown
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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Yes, a tomato based sauce, although I more often than not have non tomato based sauces (not as sauce-like, could include tomatoes).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,156 Member
    lthames0810 wrote: »
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.

    Yes, tomato sauce with lots of veggies and mushrooms. Sometimes I omit the pasta, and call it stew.

    Also: Mysteriously - and this may just be me - tomato sauce on spaghetti squash didn't seem all that tasty to me, either, until I made it a point to put fennel seed in the sauce. Subtle, but different. Not true for all, I'm sure.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    lthames0810 wrote: »
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.

    If you can't see toamto sauce with vegetables, try pasta with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and cheese. Not exactly a sauce, more like chopped fresh tomatoes cooked into the dish along with eggplant, and of course, garlic and olive oil.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    lthames0810 wrote: »
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.

    If you can't see toamto sauce with vegetables, try pasta with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and cheese. Not exactly a sauce, more like chopped fresh tomatoes cooked into the dish along with eggplant, and of course, garlic and olive oil.

    That does sound good. Thanks.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    lthames0810 wrote: »
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.

    I agree with you about the spaghetti squash, which is a commonly suggested pasta substitute for diabetics like me. I find it too sweet to pair with tomato based sauce. However, it’s delicious with a good olive oil and roasted garlic! Another good sauce to bulk out with veggies is a goat cheese and roasted vegetables (beets, peppers, etc) sauce.

    I prefer to just have a smaller portion of traditional spaghetti with meat sauce and keep my veggies on the side - spinach, and a big salad.
  • sarebearr
    sarebearr Posts: 59 Member
    My favorite way to eat pasta is to add tons of chopped veggies with it! Like zucchini or eggplant! Then serve with whatever sauce/meat I'm craving. Helps a LOT to add volume with vegetables.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    lthames0810 wrote: »
    Ok people. When you say you put lots of vegetables in your pasta sauce, are you meaning a tomato based sauce? That sounds strange to me.

    It's been my lifelong custom to have only meat (browned ground beef or meatballs or Italian sausage) or maybe seafood in a tomato sauce. I might saute vegetables in olive oil and toss that with pasta and parmesan but not with tomato sauce.

    I did have to eat spaghetti squash with tomato sauce once (as a dinner guest) but they just don't taste right together. That squash is good with the olive oil and parmesan, though.

    Things like aubergine, courgette and mushrooms go great in a tomato-based sauce. As do tomatoes.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Vegetables I often add to tomato-based sauces (not all at once) include zucchini, peppers, onions (of course), mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, and spinach, although it basically depends on what's on hand and what I'm in the mood for, the list of what I've used is longer.

    I tried red lentil pasta last night (didn't make a traditional pasta dish with it), and thought it was tasty.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    sammidelvecchio wrote: »
    The only thing sadder is learning the correct serving size of peanut butter :s
    Roza42 wrote: »
    I was actually happy when I did. It was much larger than I thought.

    Had you been mistakenly using a soup spoon for a tablespoon?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    @lemurcat2 got this recipe in my inbox and thought of you - tons of veggies with the pasta!

    Video (won't work if you are using a type of software that I'm prevented from mentioning here, lol, but if the video doesn't play DM me and I will elaborate): https://www.allrecipes.com/video/3814/how-to-make-pasta-primavera/?internalSource=picture_play&referringId=236218&referringContentType=Recipe
    Recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236218/chef-johns-pasta-primavera/

    While Chef John is pitching this as a spring recipe, I will try it in the summer when I have basil and both peas in the garden. Mom should still have asparagus, but if not, I'll have green beans.
  • wyeth84
    wyeth84 Posts: 35 Member
    edited May 2019
    sugaraddict4321 wrote: »
    What's interesting is how the same company varies serving sizes depending on the market. In the USA, a standard serving of pasta is 2 oz dry (56 grams). In western Europe, the standard serving size on the box is 85 grams - or just over 3 oz - if there's even a serving size listed. I wonder why they change up serving size depending on the market?

    Often the food labels in Europe only give info per 100 grams, so you don't know what a "recommended" serving size is. However, at least that makes tracking very easy because it's all metric and if you weigh your food in grams it's easy to figure out how much you're consuming.

    Here are two images of a very popular pasta brand as an example

    USA:
    barilla-pasta-food-label-world-of-label-with-regard-to-barilla-with-regard-to-barilla-pasta-food-label.jpg

    Europe:
    51CecOvyxfL.jpg

    Also notice that in the USA they measure in milligrams of sodium, whereas in western Europe they use grams of salt. The RDA for salt in Europe is higher than in the US. A gram of salt contains about 413 mg of sodium.

    But the pasta in the US is not made in Italy, even Barilla. Each pasta company (just like any other global brand) has several production plants that makes products (and labels) tailored to their regional markets. I come from Italy and I bring all my pasta from there as pasta here is fortified with a million ingredients while in Italy is water and wheat.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Here are some more pasta and veg recipes:

    Cabbage Balushka (Cabbage and Noodles) is Hungarian, and I have made it, and we liked it: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220717/cabbage-balushka-or-cabbage-and-noodles/

    Was going to make Cottage Noodles and Cabbage tonight but didn't have as much cabbage as I thought. Is probably some sort of Eastern European traditional dish as I see references to Polish and Ukrainian grandmothers having made the same. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24358/cottage-noodles-and-cabbage/

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