Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a healthy spaghetti? ›

When eaten in moderation, pasta can be part of a healthy diet. Whole-grain pasta may be a better choice for many, as it is lower in calories and carbs but higher in fiber and nutrients. However, in addition to the type of pasta you pick, what you top it with is just as important.

Place pasta in unwashed skillet (if pasta is very long it may not lie flat on bottom until it begins to soften). Add 2 teaspoons salt and 8 cups cold water. Place over high heat and cook uncovered, stirring frequently to keep pasta submerged, until pasta is almost al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on pasta.

The name assassina, which means killer, refers not to the felony, but rather the risottatura cooking technique that cooks pasta like risotto. Instead of boiling the spaghetti, it's cooked directly in the pan by consistently adding water to it each time the pasta absorbs it.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti: This is typically the healthiest choice among the three. It's made from whole wheat flour, which retains the bran and germ, providing more fiber, vitamins, and minerals compared to refined pasta. Whole Wheat Penne: Like whole wheat spaghetti, whole wheat penne is a good choice.

Boiling a pot of water on most residential stoves takes roughly forever. I can make pasta in a pan in about 13 minutes start to finish. I can't even get a large pot of water to boil in that time. You do you, but there are zero downsides.. it's incredibly easy.

The fact that cast-iron skillets can go from the stove to the oven to the table makes them an ideal dish for preparing these pasta recipes. Plus, you'll have less dishes to wash once supper is over when everything comes together in one skillet.

You don't want your cooked pasta to heat up in a cold pan of sauce, slowly absorbing more water and becoming mushy. I use either a wide saucier—the sloped sides of a saucier make it easier to use for tossing pasta than a straight-sided saucepan—or a large skillet for my sauce.

Two word-of-mouth origin stories for the name spaghetti all'assassina include a chef who neglected his pasta until the whole thing burned (thus “killing” it) and the "killer" spices in the dish that set many a tongue on fire.

“I think mostly it's a geographical thing, with Jersey Italians preferring gravy whereas New Yorkers and people on Long Island saying sauce. The sources that I used in my book were from 1900-1940, and invariably the word sauce is used and very rarely did I encounter the word gravy.

Sparghetti. Circa 1845, Italians used the word sparghetti to denote the recently invented pasta shape. The 2013 publication, Discovering Words in the Kitchen said the spelling "showed the derivation of the word to be a diminutive of spargo, meaning 'cord'".

What does adding milk to spaghetti do? ›

It sounds unconventional to use milk in a meaty red sauce, but upon further investigation, it makes total sense why Italians swear by it. According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”.

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. It's filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This helps you feel full longer and keeps your blood sugar from spiking.

In fact, whole wheat or whole grain pasta is the best option for weight loss as whole wheat pasta takes longer to digest than pasta made from refined flour. Slower digestion means blood sugar will rise slowly after consumption, preventing your body from storing excess fat.

Overall, if you're trying to reduce calories or carbs, spaghetti squash is the better choice. And it's richer in many nutrients, too, like B vitamins and vitamin C. Spaghetti squash is a nutritious, low carb alternative to pasta. It's also much lower in calories than pasta.

Whole wheat pasta is often considered a healthier choice than white pasta because it packs nutrients, like protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and zinc. White pasta, on the other hand, has been stripped of many of these nutrients during processing.