Pasta is a kitchen staple that many home cooks turn to for its versatility and convenience but it’s not exactly a complete meal on its own. While even white pasta does contain some protein, wheat-based pastas in general are high in carbohydrates that can lead to a blood sugar spike and crash if eaten with nothing else. Consuming pasta alongside higher protein ingredients can help to stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller longer. The most common way to add protein to pasta is with a meat sauce, but there are also plenty of plant-based sauce recipes that can really pack a protein punch. Here are a few of our go-tos.
Hummus Pasta
We can’t say we’d ever thought to use hummus as a substitute for pasta sauce on our own, but we’re really glad Yumna from Feel Good Foodie did. By mixing hummus with pasta water and a little lemon juice, this recipe turns the classic Mediterranean dip into a creamy plant-based sauce that’s as healthy as it is delicious. It’s easy to whip up in just 15 minutes and has about 10 grams of protein per serving.
Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce
Many vegan white sauces are made from coconut cream, which, while tasty, is high in fat and contains relatively little protein. As an alternative, this recipe by The Hidden Veggies puts silken tofu to good use by blending until silky smooth sauce with onion, garlic, and some nutritional yeast for flavor. The result is similar to traditional Alfredo sauce and has about 10 grams of protein per serving.
Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
If there’s one thing we love more than pasta, it’s peanut butter, so we were psyched to discover this recipe by Eat with Clarity. With soy sauce, ginger, and some toasted sesame oil, it has a distinctive Asian flavor reminiscent of Pad Thai. It’s also easy to make gluten-free using brown rice noodles and comes in at 9 grams of protein per serving.
