Most people I know love a generous helping of spaghetti and sauce for dinner. But if you want to lose weight or are diabetic, you know that you shouldn’t. Well let me show you how you can satisfy that craving and feel good about it. The trick is to re-imagine the meal. I am starting by roasting vegetables a day ahead and I am going to finish the meal by cooking pasta and serving only half a portion but over a generous portion of spaghetti squash. For the roast vegetables, I am using broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus. I washed and trimmed all the vegetables and cut everything into bite size pieces except the asparagus which I washed trimmed and left whole. I usually roast vegetables at 375° in the oven on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with dry basil. Keep the vegetables in separate groups because they cook at different rates. The asparagus may only take 10 minutes or less and likewise the zucchini, the yellow squash and broccoli cook quickly. The cauliflower will take a little longer. Both the broccoli and cauliflower should be lightly brown in spots. Cool the vegetables on a separate sheet then refrigerate. I usually undercook my vegetables because I want to reheat in the microwave.
Now for the spaghetti squash. I recommend that you cook it on high, whole in the microwave for 1 minute. Then split the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Now turn the squash cut side down on aluminum foil and bake on a rimmed sheet at 400° until it is soft. This takes about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes and then use a sturdy fork to shred the squash into the long strands that resemble pasta and refrigerate.
Finally, I am using a can of SW stewed Italian style tomatoes and a half serving of whole wheat pasta to assemble dinner. I cooked the pasta just before dinner and heated the tomatoes in a sauce pan, then laid a good helping of spaghetti squash on my plate surrounded with roast vegetables and microwaved until hot. I topped the squash with a half helping of pasta and a full helping of stewed tomatoes. Add a little parmesan on top if you like.
This meal as presented has less than 450 calories and a low glycemic load. The whole wheat pasta has a high glycemic load but you are cutting your serving in half or less and substituting spaghetti squash, which has a much lower glycemic load. Finally, I want to make it clear that this meal is not just for diabetics. I made it for myself and it is delicious. The meal shows how to eat less salt, less fat, less refined carbohydrates and less animal protein. This is good eating and smart eating at the same time.
Enjoy!
Ken Corliss, OD
(253) 845-0585