Pasta is my all time favourite comfort food to go to. You pair it with protein and good amount of vegetables and you have a decent meal. Its easy to make and can be combined with different flavours, win… win.
whilst trying to lose weight I started excluding carbs from my diet, which did help in short term but wasnt sucessul in long term. What I have learnt recently is that Carbs are also important to include in your diet as much as protein and vegetables. Whats important was to control portion size, once I programmed myself to eat less carb and it made a huge difference. I felt fuller and content for longer, and didnt need to snack often.
When it comes to choosing carbs I always prefer to have brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread, quinoa and wholewheat couscous.
Heres the recipe for pasta bake with caramelised onions, a traditional dish with a twist.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 100g Penne pasta (or pasta of your choice. Adjust quantity according to pasta type, my penne pasta gets huge after cooking)
- 200g Passata
- 2 chopped carrots
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp harrisa paste
- 50g Cheddar cheese
Caramelised onions:
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 1 garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
Method:
- In a deep pan try onion and garlic, until translucent
- add carrots and peppers, fry for 2-3 mins
- add passata and cook for 10 mins on low heat with lid on
- add boiled pasta and mix
- for caramelised onions:
- put red onions, garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar in a pan and cook on low heat with lid on for 10 mins or until onions are soft and brown in colour
- take a baking tray, add a layer of pasta then caramelised onions and repeat
- on top sprinkle cheese
- bake in oven for 15 mins at 200’c
Simple Yet Delicious 