Pasta - the Low Fat Cook's Dream

Should a person be looking to change their diet to a relatively low fat diet then they need not despair. Low fat cooking can be fun and tasteful.

Pasta is a perfect base for low fat recipes as it is made with flour and water and no fat.

To be honest pasta on its own would be pretty bland and dull...but add a simple sauce (chopped raw tomatoes, fresh basil or oregano and a shimmer of extra virgin olive oil) and you have a fantastic dish which not only looks good but is just so flavorful.

Hints for a healthy sauce One thing to keep in mind is that a great pasta sauce should cling to the pasta and stick to your ribs. A sauce should begin with a flavorful foundation. Try sizzling up some lean Canadian bacon and adding steep dried mushrooms in boiling water or saute onions garlic and bell pepper until they are tender. As the sauce simmers add small amounts of high flavored ingredients such as pungent brine-cured or pimiento- stuffed olives, piquant capers, freshly grated citrus zest and fragrant spices. Should you want an outstanding finale splash in some wine - a mellow Marsala, nutty sherry or a crisp dry white.

Of course you cannot possibly discuss pasta sauces without mentioning tomatoes as these form the basis for so many classic sauces. Fresh tomatoes can be diced, chopped or pureed to make raw and cooked pasta toppings. And the better the tomato the better the sauce so it is worth being picky.

It is also possible to give the sauce a richness and thickness in a number of healthy ways without using copious quantities of butter, oil, heavy cream or cheese.

The simplest way is to reduce the amount of fat used without destroying the dish. For example for Pesto use the same basic ingredients but lighten the sauce by using less oil and smaller quantities of nuts and cheese. But do keep chicken broth handy to keep the sauce moist.

Another thickening trick is to puree or mash some or all of the solid ingredients cooked in the sauce. this can be done with a food processsor, blender or just with a plain old fork.