The FastDay Forum

If (like me) you love a big bowl of pasta smothered in sauce, here is a tip to make it incredibly diet-friendly:

Switch the pasta for finely shredded steamed cabbage. It's just as filling but has far far fewer calories per serving. One cup of cabbage has about 25 calories. And you do not get the pasta bloat.

I like to steam mine for about 2 minuties, so it still has a bit of crunch, with a little squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of seasoning. It might sound a bit odd, but it's very tasty, and it goes really well with bolognese or puttanesca sauce.

[Tracieknits]

Great tip - the other substitutions I like to make are zucchini/courgette "fettucini" (simply slice very thin strands of zucchini/courgette with a vegetable peeler and steam or boil for a very brief time) or bake a spaghetti squash (sorry, not sure what they are called in the UK) and use those strands like pasta.

What do you season your cabbage with? Just salt & pepper? Or is there another herb or spice that you like to use? I'd like to try this as spaghetti no longer agrees with me [a sad fate for an Italian girl; to be gluten-sensitive]. *sigh*

I also use it instead of rice in stir fry.

What do you season your cabbage with? Just salt & pepper?

Yep, and a little squeeze of lemon juice goes in the water I steam it in - but that is mainly to keep the colour a nice vibrant green.

[carorees]

Great tip - the other substitutions I like to make are zucchini/courgette "fettucini" (simply slice very thin strands of zucchini/courgette with a vegetable peeler and steam or boil for a very brief time) or bake a spaghetti squash (sorry, not sure what they are called in the UK) and use those strands like pasta.

I microwave the courgette fettucine for about 2 mins.

Spaghetti squash! I should have thought of that! The clue's in the name!!

I don't think I've ever seen a spaghetti squash, are they quite readily available?

[carorees]

They have them in our local farm shop in the autumn. I might try to grow some alongside the pumpkins this year. I had been thinking butternut squash until now!

You can actually steam the spaghetti squash in the microwave...

Cut it in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in a microwave safe container, and microwave, checking frequently [total time will probably be 10-15 minutes or so, depending on your appliance]. Once the squash is tender, you can pull the strands apart [with a lengthwise motion from stem to end] with a fork and use them just like pasta. They are nice and light! Microwave steaming takes less time than baking, but baking probably gives them a slightly nuttier flavor.

I know what you mean about "pasta bloat"!

Shredded cabbage is a great idea, and so is the spaghetti squash, although I've had trouble finding them where I live.

I recently heard about Spirooli vegetable slicers that turn big, fat courgettes (zucchinis) into 'spaghetti'.

Amazingly, our local shop got some in a few weeks after I'd heard about them, so I bought one. It's great! The shape is rounded like spaghetti and the texture is pretty good, providing you don't overcook the courgette.

Just googled the Spirooli thingamajig. What a cool gadget!

You know, I haven't eaten actual pasta for weeks now, and I don't miss it at all.

I like to mix cabbage with toasted coriander and cumin seeds as a base for a curry. I'll try it your way with bolognaise. Sounds good. I had to give up on spaghetti because of the gluten and the gluten free pasta seems to cause me more blosting and colic than the normal stuff! Don't eat any grains much now as they don't suit me.

Off to look at the courgette gadget now. I've been using a Y-peeler but I do love a gadget!