Looking for an easy courgette pasta recipe that’s creamy, fresh and full of flavour? This courgette spaghetti with ricotta and Parmesan is a simple Italian-inspired dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Tender courgettes are combined with creamy ricotta, freshly grated Parmesan and spaghetti to create a light yet satisfying pasta dish that’s ready in around 30 minutes.
Carbs are not the enemy
Most women tend to avoid carbohydrates when trying to lose weight, but this can actually slow down your metabolism, causing more yo-yo weight gain as soon as you stop the diet, especially if you love food.
A balanced pasta recipe
Carbs are not the enemy, but you need to be smart in how you fit them into your diet so that you don’t spike your blood sugar levels. This pasta has a courgettes-to-spaghetti 2:1 ratio, which slows down your sugar absorption in the gut and increases your satiety levels. The ricotta and Parmesan cheese provide some extra protein that also slows down the absorption of fat and keeps you full for longer.
The julienne cut of the courgettes makes them really quick to cook, so you can make this pasta even if you are strapped for time.
Variations and cooking tips
- Cook the pasta “al dente”. This helps reduce sugar spikes.
- Use lots of courgettes. They tend to “shrink” as they cook,
- You can substitute Parmesan with Pecorino Romano cheese.
- You can use sheep ricotta
- You can add some grated lemon peel (organic)
What is ricotta?
Ricotta is an Italian soft cheese that is similar in texture and nutritional makeup to cottage cheese. It is very digestible and rich in whey proteins. It also provides creaminess and texture.
Mindful eating: Savour every bite
Feel the texture, the flavor, the aroma. Allow yourself to enjoy the food you eat, and eat food that nourishes your body and soul. These are some of the precepts of Mindful Eating, which is an integral part of the Non-Diet approach to healthy eating.
Bringing awareness and enjoying the food you eat, is fundamental to creating a better relationship with food and stopping the vicious cycle of emotional eating, creating healthier eating habits.
How to Make Courgette Spaghetti with Ricotta
Courgettes spaghetti with ricotta and Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
- 70 g Spaghetti pasta
- 160 g Courgettes
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 20 g Parmesan cheese Grated
- 30 gr Ricotta cheese
- Sea salt
- 1 Clove Garlic Optional
- a Dash Chili pepper flakes Optional
Instructions
- Wash the courgettes and cut them in Julienne shape and place them in a healthy non-stick pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and some chili flakes, letting them cook at low heat for 5-6 min.
- In the meantime, bring to boil the water in a pot, cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pan with the courgettes, the ricotta and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Stir well and let cook in the pan for 1 min, then serve!
Notes
- You can substitute or mix, Parmesan cheese with Pecorino cheese.
- You can swap ricotta for fresh, soft goat cheese.
- Make it gluten-free: you can use gluten-free buckwheat spaghetti.
- You can avoid ricotta.
- You view a richer version of the recipes on my old food blog The Healthy Gourmet.
How to choose non-stick cookware
Non-stick cookware is very convenient but needs a few considerations. I would advise avoiding Teflon because it is rich in PFAS, which are toxic particles also known as forever chemicals and act as hormone disruptors.
My personal preference goes to The Green Pan company, which you can find in Whole Foods or online. Considering that I am not an expert on the subject myself, I am linking to this great article on a Sustainable Living website that can provide lots of advice
If you enjoyed this recipe, you can visit my old food blog The Healthy Gourmet, for more.
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Claudia Armani
health coach
Claudia is an award-winning Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, specializing in helping people move on from emotional eating and yo-yo dieting to a more attuned and happier relationship with food. She holds a further specialization in Emotional and Binge Eating. Her food blog The Healthy Gourmet, specialized in healthy Italian food, has won several awards and great reviews.
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