Italian Recipes

Italians are known for their love of pasta. Their rich cuisine is often based on simple veggies, whole grains, and beans that pack a lot of flavor. This week, we're sharing 5 favorite dishes from Italy that are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

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Tuscan Baked Beans and Artichokes with Ricotta

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your dish on top of polenta for a flavor-rich meal. Remember to always use whole grain cornmeal for your polenta since it's more nutritious and is a 75% fiber food. A fresh blood orange would round out the meal nicely.  

75% water-fiber foods – onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, artichokes, white beans, fresh oregano, fresh basil, polenta, blood orange
25% foods – ricotta, oil

Recipe Note: Keep the basil oil to a drizzle instead of pouring it on to optimize fat levels in this meal.

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your spaghetti squash Alfredo with your favorite roasted veggies. A tossed salad would turn this into a well-rounded 75% meal.

75%water-fiber foods – spaghetti squash, white beans, garlic, fresh basil, quinoa, Romaine salad mix, carrots, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, roasted veggies
25% foods – unsweetened almond milk, dressing, olive oil, cheese

Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve your casserole as a side dish to your favorite grilled 25% item. A fruit would go well with this meal.

75% water-fiber foods – whole grain polenta, zucchini, yellow squash, orange bell pepper, sweet potato, red onion, fruit
25% foods – cheese, grilled protein

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve a bowl of this soup with your favorite whole-grain garlic bread for an authentic Italian dinner.

75% water-fiber foods – beans, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, kale
25% foods – white wine, olive oil, bread

Tuscan Fish

Make it a Full Plate Meal:Serve your veggies and fish on top of farro for a delicious dinner at home. Don’t eat fish? You can skip it altogether or try this plant-based version from Gardein.

75% water-fiber foods – onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, spinach, rosemary, parsley, farro
25% foods – fish/plant-based fish

👉 Water-fiber foods are 75% zone foods – whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, beans and cooked whole grains.