10 Healthier Spaghetti Recipes For When You Just. Need. Carbs.
Mmm spaghetti – the classic Italian dish that pretty much everyone loves. Spaghetti in any style is undeniably delicious, but heavy cream and meat sauces, combined with white, processed pasta noodles, don’t always make for the healthiest dinner choice.
Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Fitness App
Everyone has those days, however, when we simply must have our spaghetti. If you’re craving some of that good, good sghetti, we’ve rounded up 10 healthier versions of your favourite recipes, along with a few pasta-free options that use sweet potato and spaghetti squash.
But whether they’re based on faux-sghetti or featuring the real deal, all of these recipes are guaranteed to satisfy your crab cravings and send you straight to spaghetti heaven.
1. Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Yes, this is spaghetti, but not necessarily the spaghetti dish you are used to. Canadian bacon, low-sodium chicken broth and eggs are just a few of the unorthodox ingredients in this delightful dish, which come together to create a light yet hearty meal. Get the recipe
2. Spaghetti Frittata
You read it right – spaghetti frittata. This is an excellent way to use your leftover spaghetti, and makes for an easy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Simply gather the ingredients you use to make both spaghetti and your basic frittata and you’re good to go. Get the recipe
3. Aunt Liz’s Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
This recipe is super simple to make and somehow comes in at less than 300 calories per serving. It also packs in 19 grams of protein and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. This recipe casserole yields two casseroles of four servings each, making it ideal for your next potluck. Get the recipe
4. Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash
For the noodle-phobic or gluten-free out there, spaghetti is a healthy substitute for the real deal. This buffalo chicken recipe from Peas & Crayons is not only hearty and satisfying, but also oh-so-delicious. Get the recipe.
5. Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash
Maybe buffalo chicken spaghetti squash is too hot for you; let’s tone things down a touch with this spinach artichoke spaghetti squash recipe from Deborah of Taste and Tell. When you’re craving a big bowl of creamy pasta, this dish may just be the next best thing. Get the recipe
6. Spaghetti Squash With Mushrooms And Parmesan
Our third spaghetti squash recipe comes courtesy of Caroline of Pickled Plum and features earthy, hearty ingredients like mushrooms, parsley, and garlic. This recipe takes a little over an hour to make and is almost too pretty to eat! (Almost…) Get the recipe
7. Spaghetti And Tofu Meatballs
Okay, okay: spaghetti squash isn’t for everyone, so let’s get back to the basics. Jaden from Steamy Kitchen takes us back to our classic spaghetti and meatballs, but sneaks a small twist in: the meatballs are made from silken tofu. Before you cringe in fear, grate some onion in the meat and give them a try – you’ll be surprised by how good they taste! Get the recipe
8. Baked Whole-Wheat Spaghetti Casserole
On a night where you need comfort food but don’t want to overdo it, Kalyn gives us an option that won’t make us feel guilty. This healthier bake contains whole wheat spaghetti, turkey italian sausage and low-fat moazzarella, for a low-sugar, low-glycemic index meal that tastes like the real deal. Get the recipe
9. Spaghetti Carbonara
The dish so nice, we’ve featured it twice! In this version, Lizzie Fuhr helps slash some of the extra calories and fat from traditional carbonara with a few easy swaps. Best of all, this recipe is actually fairly easy to make and contains 7 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein. Get the recipe
10. Sweet Potato ‘Spaghetti’ And Meatballs
If you want to go completely outside of the box with your spaghetti recipe, this one from Women’s Health Magazine was made with you in mind. Instead of pasta, sweet potato is used as the noodles for the dish, with ground turkey meatballs as the star.