Holiday Healthy Series: Guilt-Free Carb Loading, Making the Impossible, Possible!

Maybe you're not running a race, but you're craving carbs this holiday and that just seems like the LAST thing you want to consume. If I've learned anything about healthy eating (not just during the holiday!), is that it's important to pay attention to your cravings, because ignoring them is torture! So if you eat regularly, healthy meals, exercise as often as you can and stay active, indulging in a craving certainly won't undue anything! 

I feel like a common craving and overindulgence for many, are carbs...complex carbs to be exact. Pasta is a quick, easy and inexpensive dish to prepare on a moment's notice, but it's gotten a lot of bad rep because it's super starchy and usually piled high with ooey gooey cheese and other gut-busting ingredients. I've had my qualms about using wheat and whole grain pasta, but for heavier,  (sometimes cream based pasta dishes), a wheat pasta holds the thick sauces well and is often masked by the heaviness of the dish all together. Plus wheat pasta rations well, it's heavy enough that hefty second and thirds, are just not possible. Remember, with the right seasoning, no one will never know it's wheat!  

Pumpkin puree is plentiful these days, but pumpkin anything is SO overdone. Adding pumpkin puree in lieu of masses of heavy cream and lots of cheese, makes for the creamiest, most delightful fettuccine! Trust me, you won't lose that creamy texture when reheating days later!

By making this pumpkin fettuccine I've learned you can indulge in the best, without often indulging at all. I know you are thinking lies, but using a few substitutions (that you will barely notice!), will help you stay on track...not just this holiday season, but all year round! 

Make this your go-to carb loading dish with these guilt-free substitutions: 

• 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree instead of 2 cups of heavy cream
• 3/4 cups low-fat milk + 1/2 Tbl. of butter instead of heavy cream
• 8 oz. of whole wheat fettuccine pasta instead of 8 oz. regular fettuccine

Creamy and festive

Note: For those sassy readers that are vegan or lactose-free, almond milk and margarine, nicely replace the milk and butter in this recipe. Shout out to my gluten-free sassy cats! You can always sub the wheat pasta with rice pasta instead. 

Pumpkin and Sage Fettuccine

Piping hot and delicious! 

Adapted from Camille Styles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, canned, pumpkin puree
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. wheat fettuccine pasta, cooked to pasta instructions (or rice pasta if you are gluten-free)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. butter or margarine (for garlic)
• 1 Tbl. butter or margarine, melted (added to milk)
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk (or 1 cup plain, almond milk) 
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4-5 fresh sage leaves, stems removed and julienned (this means thinly sliced!)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta as directions recommend. Once pasta is done, set aside and drain, do not rinse with cold water!
2. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and 1 Tbl. butter to medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until slightly golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. 
3. Add pumpkin puree, additional, melted 1 Tbl. of butter and low-fat milk. Stir in Italian seasoning (made my own!), nutmeg (brings out that lovely, pumpkin-y flavor), chili flakes salt and pepper. 
4. Stir and simmer sauce until ingredients combine thoroughly and sauce becomes smooth, about 6-7 minutes on medium-low heat. 
5. Add in pasta to sauce, coating evenly. 
6. Garnish with fresh sage (and maybe a sprinkle of Parmesan too!) 

Thanks MP for taking these great photos!