September marks the return to routine and planning. The “new year” often begins this month, filled with good intentions and goals. This calls for a proper meal plan, supported by a delicious and balanced dose of carbohydrates. Pasta is a perfect food, suitable for the whole family thanks to its valuable nutritional content. Here are some recipes for children or for your office lunch.
Pasta is Healthy for Kids
It’s often thought that pasta is fattening, and parents tend to give less of it to children, especially if they are a bit overweight. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sacrificing carbohydrates is absolutely not the correct way to control children’s weight. There are no “diet shortcuts” that work – this cannot be stressed enough. Therefore, skipping meals or drastically reducing a food from our diet, besides being wrong, is absolutely useless, especially if our goal is to get back in shape. The widespread demonization of pasta or rice-based first courses has no scientific basis.
What emerges from a study by Medicine is that a good strategy to adopt when it comes to our children’s nutrition is to organize their diet around carbohydrates (especially complex ones, like those found in pasta), which should be considered the primary source of energy throughout the day. These should be accompanied by light, low-calorie condiments and associated with a regular and active lifestyle.
Starting on the Right Foot: Three Pasta Recipes
So, whether it’s for a daily meal to prepare for the kids or for your lunch to take to work, nothing is more suitable than a good pasta recipe that’s easy to prepare and delicious for your lunch break. Let’s look at some.
Penne with Zucchini and Salmon
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 320 g penne rigate
- 3 dark zucchini
- 150 g smoked salmon
- 1 clove garlic
- Fresh basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Method:
- Cut the salmon into strips and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, cut them horizontally in half, then in half again, and finally into small pieces. Sauté them in a large non-stick pan where you’ve infused the oil with the crushed garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper. After about 10-15 minutes of cooking over medium-low heat, remove the garlic and take out half of the zucchini.
- Transfer them to a tall container, add a few basil leaves, and blend them, adding a drizzle of olive oil. You should obtain a soft but not excessively smooth cream, which you will set aside. When the water boils, cook the pasta. When it’s almost done, add the salmon strips to the remaining zucchini in the pan, letting them flavor for a minute.
- Drain the penne al dente, reserving a little of the cooking water, and transfer them to the pan with the sauce. Also add the zucchini cream and mix gently, stirring in some of the reserved cooking water to emulsify. Transfer the salmon and zucchini pasta to individual plates, finish with a grind of pepper, and serve immediately.
Fusilli with Mint, Rocket, and Feta
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 350 g fusilli
- 200 g crumbled feta cheese
- 150 g peas
- 30 g pitted green olives
- 50 g rocket (arugula), wild rocket is better for a stronger flavor
- Juice and grated zest of one lemon
- Mint
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Cook the pasta in salted water along with the mint and peas.
- Once cooked, remove the mint, drain the pasta, and rinse it under cold water.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl, adding feta, rocket, a few mint leaves, lemon juice and zest, adjust with salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the chopped olives and mix everything together.
Rigatoni with Ricotta and Basil
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 350g Rigatoni
- 200g Ricotta cheese
- A bunch of fresh basil
- 30g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
- 20g Pine nuts
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Method:
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for the time indicated on the package.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by blending together the ricotta, fresh basil, Parmesan, and pine nuts, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to make it creamier.
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the ricotta sauce. Serve on a platter, garnished with a few fresh basil leaves.
