Top 10: Healthy Pasta Dishes

Healthy pasta dishes, from spicy spaghetti with creamy spinach, lemon, and chile to a carrot macaroni and cheese.

1 of 9

Farfalle with Zucchini and Parsley-Almond Pesto

Melissa Rubel combines roasted almonds, parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for a nutty, fresh-tasting pesto. This pasta dish is terrific served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and served as a cold pasta salad.

Fast Pasta Dishes

2 of 9

Spaghetti with Lemon, Chile and Creamy Spinach

Go to Recipe

Instead of using heavy cream, this tangy, spicy dish calls for low-fat yogurt, which is packed with protein and calcium. Stirring a little flour into the yogurt prevents curdling as it simmers and creates a thick, rich and satisfying sauce for all kinds of pasta and vegetables.

More Spicy Recipes

3 of 9

Linguine with Tomatoes, Baby Zucchini and Herbs

Go to Recipe

"This dish makes you understand the less-is-more approach of Italian cooking," says Andreas Viestad about his pasta tossed with a raw tomato-and-zucchini sauce.

More Tomato Recipes

4 of 9

Spaghetti with Clams and Green Beans

Go to Recipe

This is Australian chef Neil Perry's variation on the Italian classic spaghetti vongole (pasta with clams). He adds green beans to make the dish fresher-tasting, and then finishes it with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano. As he says, "Serving cheese with seafood is not the norm in Italy, but I just love it here."

Wine Pairings

5 of 9

Pennette with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Go to Recipe

When he was trying to lose weight, Mark Strausman relied on this garlicky, rustic whole wheat pasta. Not only is it loaded with fiber and lycopene-rich canned tomatoes, but it's also deeply satisfying.

More Italian Recipes

6 of 9

Rice Noodle Salad with Chicken

Go to Recipe

This delicate, Asian-influenced chicken is satisfying yet light.

More Asian Noodle Dishes

7 of 9

Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers

Go to Recipe

A vast improvement on the usual sesame noodles made famous by a million Chinese take-out menus, this silky version includes chunks of tofu and sweet, crunchy slices of red bell pepper.

More Chinese Recipes

8 of 9

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese

Go to Recipe

The silky carrot puree mixed with the cheddar here is a terrific source of vitamin A and helps reduce the amount of fat in the recipe.

More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

9 of 9

Seafood Pasta with Tuscan Hot Oil

Go to Recipe

Olive oil infused with crushed red pepper flakes lends this dish with a perfect amount of spice.

Food And Wine Masters

Replay gallery

Top 10: Healthy Pasta Dishes

1 of 9

Farfalle with Zucchini and Parsley-Almond Pesto

1 of 9

2 of 9

Spaghetti with Lemon, Chile and Creamy Spinach

2 of 9

3 of 9

Linguine with Tomatoes, Baby Zucchini and Herbs

3 of 9