5 tips to making your Italian favourites healthier
1. Opt for a tomato-based sauce made with crushed tomatoes or passata (tomato puree) over a creamy based sauce as these are usually higher in calories. A tomato passata can be made into a showstopper by adding ingredients like fresh basil, olives and chunks of grilled eggplant and capsicum. If a creamy sauce is your thing, try using silken tofu as a base. Put it through a food processor with basil, garlic, lemon juice and a dash of robust olive oil, mustard and seasoning.
2. Fill your pasta with roasted vegetables and good sources of protein like legumes and lentils to help you feel fuller for longer.
3. Increase the fibre content of your pasta dish by using the wholemeal variety.
4. Swap half the amount of dry pasta for spiralised vegies like carrot and zucchini for an extra serve of vegies. If you don't have a spiraliser you can use a vegetable peeler to peel zucchini into ribbons or buy pre-cut spiralised zucchini in the fresh produce section of most supermarkets.
5. Swap a traditional frozen pizza base for wholemeal flatbread.
Recipes for vegetarian pizza and pasta dishes
Put some of these handy tips to use in our selection of vegetarian pasta and pizza recipes. Like in our artichoke and eggplant pasta filled with classic Italian ingredients including basil and ricotta. Or try our slow cooked spicy tomato and eggplant pasta.