Q&A with Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD of Teaspoon of Spice
For our second August Pasta Spotlight, we chatted with Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD and co-blogger of Teaspoon of Spice, about the best ways to make a healthy pasta meal. She also shared some great tips especially for making pasta. Read below for all this and more!
1. We know that between both you and Serena, you have 5 kids. We know kids can be picky eaters – do you have any tips for finding a meal that accommodates everyone’s tastes?
My two go-to meals for more selective eaters are tacos and mini pizzas – everyone can pick what topping they like best and you’re not making a separate meal for them.
2. We love your healthy kitchen hacks! Can you share some that you think would be especially helpful when making pasta?
- Save about a cup of the pasta water after cooking as you can use it to keep the pasta from sticking or add some of it to a sauce to make it thicker.
- How to use regular lasagna noodles when recipe calls for no-boil noodles
- How to Cut 10 Minutes off of Pasta Cooking Time
3. What are some of your favorite ingredients or food additions to make a healthy pasta meal?
Being part Italian, I’m making pasta at least twice a week. I use half regular and half whole-wheat pasta in a dish. One of those dishes is always mac n cheese and I usually add butternut squash (I thaw the frozen kind and blend it with some milk in blender and then mix it into the cheese sauce.) And for other pasta dishes I’m adding roasted or sautéed veggies. A few of my favorite go-tos:
- Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Sautéing zucchini or summer squash zoodles in a pan with oil, garlic and red hot pepper flakes. Toss with spaghetti or linguine.
- In the summer, I mix fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with small shaped pasta like dilanti, elbows or bowties.
- This Pasta e Fagioli with Greens is favorite in fall and winter.
4. Finally, can you share one of your favorite pasta recipes with us?
This Roasted Asparagus Caprese Pasta Salad is one of my very favorites because you can eat it hot or cold and it’s great for when you have guests over for dinner or lunch!