A Healthier Love Affair

One of my favorite things in the world is the experience of making Homemade Spaghetti. I love hearing the sound of fresh vegetables being chopped, the smell of fresh Basil as it’s being stirred into a beautiful pot of brilliantly colored tomatoes and the bubbling sound of sauce simmering on the stove. Not to mention how amazing Spaghetti tastes when it’s on your plate.

One thing I’ve always struggled with is the heavy feeling I get after eating a bowl of Spaghetti. This heaviness is a result of eating pasta filled with sugar and calories.

My vegetable Mentor Brenda shared with me an amazing and simple solution that is low in calories but very filling…Zucchini!

That’s right the little, green Summer Squash is a perfect substitute to create a pasta like dish without the calories and starch. Zucchini also provides Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Calclium, Phosphorus and Magnesium. It also contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids.

Go ahead...Give it a try!

Zucchini Spaghetti

For the "Pasta" you'll probably need 4 or 5 zucchinis. Cut the ends off of each one and then slice each one until they're pretty close in size to spaghetti. (Mine were slightly thicker than spaghetti and more closely resembled shoestring potatoes).

After you cut the zucchini put it in a pot with just enough water to cover and then boil for 3-4 minutes. You'll want to keep an eye on it because it cooks pretty quickly.

For the Sauce:

1 chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans peeled ground tomatoes in paste
1 (6 ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste
7 cups water
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1 pinch crushed red pepper

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, wine, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.