I have been on low carb for 18 months now and have lost 75 pounds! Only 25 more to go!
Anyway, I don’t miss the potatoes, rice or bread. But I do get a craving for pasta once and a while, so…
I’ve tried the tofu pasta stuff and ended up throwing the meal right in the trash, along with the rest of the product I bought at the time. YUCK!
Now, whenever I get a pasta craving, I get the Carba-Nada pasta from www.aldentepasta.com. This is a reduced carb pasta that really satisfies that pasta craving.
Please note however, while it isn’t exactly “low carb” it only has half the carbs that regular pasta has.
I’ve never been pleased with the spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta, which so many people suggest; but I really like it just with butter and Parmesan cheese.
Some ideas for pasta substitutes:
Spaghetti Squash with Marinara
Spiral cut zucchini, toss in hot marinara or bolognese
Lasagna - either overstuff layers and use only a couple of sheets, or use roasted veggies as layers instead of pasta sheets
Ricotta Gnocchi:
Ingredients
1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim)
1 egg yolk (medium or large)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan and/or Percorino cheese
1/2-2/3 cup almond flour, plus more for the board
Finely chopped herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, etc.)
Tips
The more flour you add, the denser the gnocchi will be, and you are aiming for light, fluffy pillows! Using almond flour instead of regular flour makes the carb-count even lower.
Directions
1. Drain the ricotta in a mesh strainer for up to an hour
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil
3. Combine the cheese in a large bowl with egg yolk, salt, herbs and grated cheese, mixing well to combine. Add some of the flour and stir just until combined; it should still be quite sticky.
4. Flour the board heavily. Scoop a large spoonful of dough onto the board and flour the top heavily. Flour your hands and roll the dough into a log about the width of one finger. Dip a sharp knife into flour, and cut into pieces the size of the last joint of your thumb (about 3/4”).
5. Transfer to a parchment-lined, flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are formed. Work quickly so they don’t get soggy and stick.
6. Turn the heat down under the pot until the water bubbles gently. Add the gnocchi and stir once so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook until the float to the surface, 2-4 minutes. Remove with a skimmer or spider and serve at once with a light tomato sauce, browned butter with sage, or any kind of pesto.
Serving Size: Makes enough gnocchi for two