Pasta is a food that has become ubiquitous across the globe. When cooked healthy, pasta dishes are eclectic and exceedingly satisfying. This traditional Italian dish can be cooked in gazillion ways and customized according to personal taste, based on one’s choice of veggies and meat.

Read on for a selection of pasta recipes that are easy to cook, low on calories, and, above all, healthy.

Whole Grain Pasta with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

Ingredients required:

• Whole wheat penne pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Unsalted butter
• Sweet Onion
• Chicken sausage
• Broccoli
• Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt

How to prepare:
Cook the pasta al dente in a large bowl with boiling salted water for approximately 11 minutes. Heat a large skillet. Put 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter into it on medium flame. Add 1 clove of freshly minced garlic and 2 medium yellow onion, and sauté for 2 minutes, unless they soften. Add 100 grams of smoked chicken sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Stir well unless it turns brown. Add chopped broccoli to the pasta pot when it is about to get cooked. Drain the pasta and keep a quarter of water reserved. Then add the cooked pasta to the skillet that has the cooked sausage. Stir well. Add finely grated Parmesan cheese, seasoning, salt and pepper according to taste. Serve the delicious pasta with extra Parmesan.

Balsamic Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients required:

• Fettuccine Pasta
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Balsamic vinegar
• Parsley
• Heavy cream
• Parmesan Cheese

How to prepare:
Cook 4 ounces of fettuccine pasta in a pan of salted boiling water. Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom sauce. Take a large heated saucepan and put 1 tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Keep the flame medium, put quarter a cup of shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves. Sauté unless they soften. Toss 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms in the pan and cook them brown for 8 minutes. Pour in a quarter cup of balsamic vinegar and mix everything together. Add another tablespoon of butter or olive oil if required. Cook the whole mixture for another 2 minutes and turn off the flame. Add quarter a cup heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese, and stir everything well. Add the whole balsamic mushroom source to the cooked pasta. Add one tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper according to taste. Garnish with additional parsley and parmesan, and enjoy the exotic yet healthy pasta.

Vegan Pasta Alfredo

Ingredients required:
Gluten-free spaghetti
Olive oil
Garlic
Unsweetened almond milk
Cauliflower
Black pepper
Nutritional yeast
Lemon juice

How to prepare:
Cook 4 ounces of pasta al dente in a large bowl of boiling salted water. Take a frying pan and put on medium flame. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the pan and 1 clove of minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes unless the garlic turns brown. Pour 175 ml of unsweetened almond milk and bring to boil. Lower the heat and add 100 gm of chopped raw cauliflower. Add salt and pepper according to taste and cook for additional 7-8 minutes unless the cauliflower gets softened. Let the entire mixture get cooled down and transfer it to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and half tablespoon of lemon juice, and blend it unless it turns smooth. Pour the drained pasta on the sauce. Stir the mixture and add extra oregano for the delectable vegan dish.

Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli

Ingredients required:

• Orecchiette pasta
• Sundried tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Red pepper flakes
• Chicken breast
• Basil pesto
• Broccoli
• Kosher Salt
• Black pepper

How to prepare:
Cook 2 cups of dried orecchiette pasta in a large pan with boiling salted water. Take a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add quarter a cup sundried tomatoes, 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic, half a cup diced onion, half teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté the mixture for 3-4 minutes unless the onions turn brown. Add cubed chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes, unless the chicken gets properly cooked. Turn the heat down to medium flame and then add 4 tablespoons of basil pesto. Add some water to the skillet if the basil pesto gets too thickened. Add 1 cup of blanched broccoli, and cooked pasta to the prepared sauce. Distribute the ingredients evenly by stirring well. Add salt, pepper and seasoning according to taste. Serve and enjoy with an epicurean delight.

Spinach Parmesan Pasta

Ingredients required:

• Whole-wheat Capellini pasta
• Butter
• Garlic
• Baby spinach
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and black pepper

How to prepare:
Add 8 oz of uncooked pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Save the drained water. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium heat pan, add 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Further, add the cooked pasta and 5-6 cups of baby spinach. Toss and turn the mixture unless the spinach is wilted. Add some reserved drained water in the pan, around 1/3 of a cup. Stir in ¼ of Parmesan cheese and add to the pasta. Combine and put seasoning, salt and pepper according to taste. Take the entire pasta and garnish with additional parmesan and seasoning. The super-healthy pasta is ready.

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