Pasta is a glorious thing.
Even though traditional pasta is just carbs and more carbs, there's no reason to cut it out entirely. Carbohydrates are still part of a well-rounded, nutritious diet, and they're a good source of energy. Plus, there are ways to incorporate more vegetables, lean protein, and other unprocessed ingredients so that your pasta is more nourishing. That way, you don't have to turn all your vegetables into "zoodles" (aka a sad, floppy excuse for spaghetti and linguine).
And, OK, sure, you might want to try whole-wheat or brown rice pasta instead of refined white flour pasta, depending on your dietary needs and body composition goals (more info on that here), but if you're really just looking to make your favorite pastas healthier, these recipes are a good place to start.
You actually cook the pasta in the sauce so prep and cleanup are ridiculously easy. And this hearty puttanesca is full of veggies and robust Mediterranean flavors.
Find the recipe here, via Yup It's Vegan.
It's basically spinach and artichoke dip (made with low-fat cottage cheese) inside lasagna, which is the best idea ever.
Find the recipe here, via Cookie and Kate.
