Low-carb Italian Favorites

One of the keys to enjoying low-carb Italian food is to find a delicious alternative to pasta and other starches that typically make up our favorite dishes. I've found two great ways to do this, without sacrificing texture or flavor, or resorting to the use of fake, processed foods:

1. Substitute vegetables for pasta.
I especially like to use zucchini or other summer squash because of its mild, fresh taste. There are lots of other options--see recipes below, or use your imagination!

2. Eat white beans.
Yes, they have a few carbs (12 g. net carbs per 1/2 cup serving), but they also have lots of fiber and protein and are no comparison to pasta, nutritionally.

Making noodles out of zucchini is super-easy. And luckily for pasta-lovers, they work well with just about any pasta sauce, and they are very delicious and satisfying (unlike strange, gluey low-carb versions of boxed pasta). Here's how it's done:

Medium-sized, fairly straight zucchini (or any fresh summer squash)
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer.

Cut ends from squash and discard. Cut each squash lengthwise. At a 90º angle to the flat-cut side, shave lengthwise into long, thin ribbons using a mandoline slicer. (You can also use a Scandinavian cheese plane, or even a good, sharp vegetable peeler.)

Drop noodles into the simmering water for 60 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon or spider and place in serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, toss very, very gently. Serve with your favorite sauce.

A variation of this recipe appears on our "Meatball Heaven" page, as does the recipe for marinara. It is indeed heavenly...

1 ½ pounds mixed ground beef chuck, veal and pork (preferably freshly ground)
- 1 14-oz. can cannellini beans, mashed with a fork
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¾ cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- Optional: milk (add only if mixture is too dry)

- Marinara Sauce (see below for link)

(If making your own marinara, start that first.)

Preheat oven to 450º.

Combine all ingredients (except the marinara) in a large bowl and mix together with very clean hands. Don't compress too much--keep it light. The mixture should be fairly soft, wet and sticky-add extra milk if necessary to get it right. TEST your seasoning by cooking small amounts--be sure to add enough salt. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes or so, to give the starch some time to absorb moisture, which will also firm it up a bit.

Shape meatballs with your hands--I like them about 2" across but I've made them both larger and smaller and honestly, it really doesn't matter. You can measure them out first with a large spoon or ice cream scoop, but you'll still need to roll them smooth with your hands. They will be sticky, but if your hands are slightly damp it helps.

Place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They don't expand like cookies, so you can place them fairly close together, but allow enough room for the heat to circulate between each one (at least 1"). Place sheet on center rack of oven, and bake 15-20 minutes, until meatballs are starting to brown and get bubbly. You can, of course, also brown them in a skillet, but I find the oven method easier and it works better.

Meanwhile, place Marinara in large enamel pot, bring to simmer on stovetop, reduce heat to low, and cover.

Remove meatballs from oven and place in pot with sauce, along with any browned juices. Cover and simmer slowly for at least another 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with sauce and grated parmesan, over zucchini tagliatelle if desired.

- 3 medium zucchini
- Kosher salt
- 1 16-oz container part-skim ricotta
- 2 T. pesto
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs (one for the filling, one for the egg wash)
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cups marinara (or other tomato sauce--a meat sauce ("gravy") works well too)

Prepare zucchini:
Slice ends from zucchini. Using a mandoline or Y-shaped vegetable peeler, slice each squash lengthwise, discarding the first and last few slices from each squash (not only do they need to be wider than for the tagliatelli, they also need to be slightly thicker). Arrange slices in a single layer in a colander, sprinkle with kosher salt, and repeat layers with the remaining squash. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, until slices have softened and released some of their moisture. Rinse thoroughly, lay a layer of slices out on a paper towel, cover with another paper towel, repeat with remaining squash.

Prepare the filling:
Mix together ricotta, pesto, parmesan, 1 egg, and pepper. (Don't overmix or it will get too soft!)

Get everything ready:
Preheat oven to 375º. Spread a layer of marinara over the bottom of a medium baking dish. Beat remaining egg in a small dish and set next to work surface with a small pastry brush.

Assemble the cannelloni:
To create the shell, lay one slice of squash flat on work surface. Brush with egg wash. Lay second slice next to and partially overlapping the first slice. Brush with egg wash again. Depending on the width of the squash, you may or may not need a third slice--it depends on how long you want the cannelloni. Place a large spoonful of filling across your shell, about 1 inch from one end. Very carefully fold that end over the filling, then continue to roll fairly tightly until you have a little filled tube (it takes a bit of practice to get it right--be patient!)

Finish the dish:
Place each finished cannelloni in baking pan, laying them close together and in rows. Spoon remaining sauce over the top (cover them but don't drown them), then grate some additional parmesan over the top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Classic pasta primavera consists of pasta topped with sauteed vegetables in a creamy sauce. Our version puts the vegetables inside the noodles, topping them with a lovely creamy herb sauce.

2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow summer squash
3 medium carrots
1 cup half and half (or whole milk), warmed
1 1/2 t. cornstarch
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg
2 T. fresh basil leaves, sliced
2 T. fresh marjoram, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 T. fresh chives, chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced into strips

Prepare noodles from squash and carrots (see technique section above), set aside. Stir cornstarch into half and half, set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic, saute until soft (do not brown). Remove from heat and whisk in warm half and half mixture. Return to low heat, continuing to whisk as sauce begins to thicken. Add cheese, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. The sauce should just be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles, cook for about 60 seconds, until vegetables are tender but still al-dente. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider, place in serving bowl. Add red pepper. Toss very gently with sauce, garnish with additional cheese and/or herbs if desired.