Low-kilojoule pasta meals

Pasta is such an easy and tasty base for your meal, but it does pack a big carb punch.

A hundred grams of dried pasta yields around 70g of carbohydrate and 1400 kilojoules. There are two ways you can go to make your pasta meal healthier: you can load your pasta with healthy ingredients that will dominate the pasta or you can use some pasta substitutes. Whichever way you go, we’ve got some delicious options for you including carrot pasta with garlic, chili and walnuts; smoked salmon with zucchini pasta; chickpea pasta with tomato sauce; vegan pumpkin penne cheese; celeriac pasta with herbed tomato sauce; tuna and red lentil pasta; lemony pea pesto spaghetti; or creamy dairy-free chicken penne alfredo.

Chickpea Pasta with Nomato Sauce

Recipe / Jacqueline Alwill

This sauce is for those who have children who refuse to eat tomatoes, or who can’t eat them themselves. It’s vegetable-rich and full of hearty Italian flavors while staying low in kilojoules too. Serve with chickpea or other pulse- or legume-based pasta for a nutrient-dense meal.

Serves: 4

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced

6 medium carrots, trimmed & diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 brown onion, peeled & diced

2 cups diced mushrooms

¼ cup red-wine vinegar

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley Sea salt & black pepper