Veggie "Pasta" with Meat Sauce

If you get grumpy tummies from pasta too, try this healthy, easy-on-the-belly alternative! No, it won't make you believe you're eating real pasta. But, it's a genuine alternative that does not include creepy chemicals. It's not like when a vegetarian still wants to eat chicken but instead buys "chicken." You're likely not doing your body or the environment a favor by consuming something so heavily processed... but I digress! If you want to try this yummy, all natural (and I mean that honestly, unlike food labels), huge, filling entree, please take a look at the recipe for

Veggie "Pasta" with Meat Sauce

352 calories, 32g carbs, 32g protein, 13g fat, 6g fiber, 1305mg sodium

Now before you're scared off by the sodium level, please note that I used jarred/pre-made pasta sauce, because I love shortcuts. If you are concerned, make sauce from scratch! It's really easy, I promise... though there's no recipe here so you'll have to go googlin.

2 cups of "noodled" veggies = 32 calories

vs 2 cups of spaghetti (cooked) = 394 calories

4oz of 94% lean ground turkey = 160 calories

vs 4oz 95% lean ground beef = 200 calories

I rest my case.

Here's what I used:

• 1/2 a medium Zucchini
• 1/2 a medium Yellow squash
• 1 cup jarred Pasta Sauce of choice
• 4oz 94% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

First you want to start browning the ground turkey in a pan over medium-high heat.

While that is cooking (keep an eye on it!) take a vegetable peeler and peel your zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise til there's basically nothing left except the funky, seedy core (I opted not to use that bit). Turn the squashes so you're essentially whittling away from all sides evenly; this keeps your "noodles" from being super wide. They should vaguely look like fettuccine - long like spaghetti but wider and flatter.

When your meat is cooked (you don't want any pink with poultry, ya know!) you want to pour your pasta sauce in the pan with it just so it can get heated through. After about a minute I shut off the heat to the burner but left the pan on top of it to retain the heat a bit longer.

Next, pop your plate or bowlful of "noodles" into the microwave for 1 minute. Since they're such watery vegetables it doesn't take long at all to break down the fibers to a softer, edible, pasta-y state. If you're an elitist and don't like microwaves you could also dunk them briefly into boiling water, or stick them in with the sauce and wait til they heat up that way. But me, I use the microwave, because I ain't scared, it's easier, (contrary to popular belief) it preserves nutrients, and makes fewer dishes for me. No matter which method you use, be brief with the cooking process. If you overcook it, the whole dish becomes a big sloppy blob. We're going for al dente, just like mama makes... if I had an Italian mama.

Now, combine! Pour that sauce all over your "pasta," sprinkle with grated Parmesan and enjoy!