Pizza and pasta unnecessarily get a bad rap these days, and often get passed off as junk food. With fast food chains and commercial kitchens dishing out excessively rich and unhealthy versions of these Italian classics, its no wonder, really. But not all pasta and pizza needs to be made with super processed ingredients. You can make a perfectly good pizza or pasta at home that is wholesome, nutritious and healthy too. There's a world of flavour beyond stringy cheese and plain old white sauce and pizzas and pasta can be delicious for the whole family too!
This week's #SaturdayNightDinner theme is Pizza And Pasta Night because it's a great meal to make with the whole family. Divide preparation and everyone gets to play a part in putting the meal together. Our selection includes a handful of pizzas and pastas that are mostly healthier than anything you'll find in a restaurant. We've also given you the option to add a soup or salad to take the health quotient up a notch. Of course, as always, end it with a yummy dessert to finish on a sweet note. We hope you'll find joy in putting this meal together this week!
It's actually really easy to make wholewheat pizza base at home, to avoid using store-bought ones. Replace pasta with wholewheat variants to make it healthier too. If you'd like a warm comforting beginning, try this Curried Butternut Squash Soup or Tomato & Beetroot Soup. You could try this Watermelon Panzanella Salad with refreshing flavours and crunch from croutons, making it a zesty but healthy starter.
Choose from any (one or more) of the pastas given below -- you'll see that each one is unique in it's own regard. A delicious Penne Alfredo gets additional punch of oven-roasted vegetables, Baked Cheesy Pasta is unexpectedly crunchy with peanuts, and if you have ever thought of making Homemade Ravioli this recipe is for you, this Red Chilli Pesto & Roasted Tomato Spaghetti presents pesto like you have never imagined it, and if you thought adding calorie-rich cream was the only way to make your pasta creamy this Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce will make you change your mind.
Our pizzas come in all kinda of variants too -- Wholewheat Flatbread with Spinach Pesto and Roasted Vegetables, Bread Pizza made from French Loaf, Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes, and a surprising addition of yoghurt and pomegranate sauce make this Harissa Roasted Carrot Pizza a true delight.
You could also choose a combination of your favourite pasta and pizza to get the best of both and a little bit of everything. In keeping with the simple but wholesome approach, dessert options include this Wholewheat Plum Galette and a Chocolate Ganache Tart that is simple, yet fabulous in terms of depth of flavour. You can't go wrong with these classics!
