When I was married to James, some evenings, the joke in our house was, “What kind of pasta is Brenda making tonight?” because I fixed every kind of pasta dish known to man and many I made up. By that time, I was in my mid-forties, and I’d been making homemade pasta since my 20s—tortellini filled with veal, prosciutto and spinach was my specialty—and I was still at the age where I didn’t have to worry about carbs creeping up around my hips and thighs. That all changed when I was 52 and diagnosed with breast cancer, and after eight rounds of chemotherapy, the adjunct chemotherapy pills I took every day for the next five years made me gain weight even if I looked at a plate of pasta. But now, new research says the right kind of pasta can be good for you. That’s good to know, because once again, I’m making and eating pasta.
I bet you’re wondering what Lobster Corn Chowder has to do with pasta… We’ll get to that.
A large, 30-year study by researchers at Tufts University and Harvard, recently published in the JAMA Network Open journal, suggests the quality of the carbohydrate may be an important factor in healthy aging. Healthy carbs slow down the aging process, helps ward off 11 major chronic diseases and preserves physical function and good cognitive and mental health. Healthy, nutritious carbs include whole grains (pasta), fruits, vegetables and legumes versus unhealthy carbs made with sugars, refined grains and white flour or white potatoes.
Ideally, carbs should be combined with protein and healthy fats because together they create a balanced meal that supports stable blood sugar and keeps you feeling full.
One of the balanced carb meals I eat a lot is a healthy pasta with a Bolognese sauce made with organic, lean ground beef, veal, or turkey, and a salad that includes fresh avocados. My favorite storebought pasta these days is traditional, bronze-cut pasta made from semolina (coarse grains) and imported from Italy. I’m obsessed with Central Market’s Organic Vesuvio bronze-cut pasta. Each one of the curlicue, twisted pieces is about two inches long and is perfect for holding a sturdy sauce.
If you’re looking for gluten free pasta, Rummo is a great die-cut brand, made in Italy with rice and corn, and it holds up against even the heaviest of sauces.
Since I’m no longer motivated to spend the time, making my own sauce—I should since my cardiologist has severely limited my sodium consumption, and bottled red sauces are off the chart with the amount of sodium in one-quarter cup—I’ve discovered Cucina Antica’s Sunday Sauce which only contains 135mg sodium per one-half cup serving.
I have to laugh at “I’m no longer motivated to spend the time making my own sauce,” because this afternoon…
I’m taking on the task of making the Barefoot Contessa’s Lobster Corn Chowder for me and a dear friend who’s a foodie and a wine expert, so I hope it turns out well. LOL! Yes! Talk about a task!
The recipe calls for three large, cooked lobsters, cracked and split, two large stock pots, sherry, white wine, whole milk, heavy cream, bacon, etc., etc., etc. I’m sure the sodium content will be more than my allotment for the next week—hopefully my heart doesn’t explode—plus it’s going to be one of those all-day kind of recipes.
Fingers crossed I don’t wind up wishing I’d stayed with a simple pasta dish I know is good for me. Wish me luck!
