My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes- Great Recipes for Weight Watchers Pasta

This is my second recipe hub in my series on my favorite Weight Watchers recipes.  I shared my favorite “big portion” Weight Watchers recipes, in the first in this series.  For this hub, I have chosen recipes of my favorite Weight Watchers pasta.  I’ve said before that I used to be a starch-aholic.  Italian food would be one giant reason why. 

I shared previously My Experience with Weight Watchers using their Quick Start cookbook.  You can refer to this hub for an overview of Weight Watchers’ older exchange program, and my changes to customize a diet that would work for me.  I included some very basic information on what constitutes a serving in my original hub.  Women’s daily exchanges are 3 fruit, 2 milk, 2 bread, 3 fat, 6 protein and at least 2 vegetables.  (I tweaked my program a bit per my food preferences.)  Men get 4 fruit, 2 milk, 4 bread, 3 fat, 8 protein, and at least 2 vegetables. 

These Weight Watchers pasta recipes reflect my modifications.  The only thing wrong with them is that they “taste like more”.  Plan on having them with a big green salad. 

Recipes in this hub: 

Spaghetti Pie

Lasagna Rolls

Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine

“Crust” Ingredients

2 c thin spaghetti, cooked

1 oz parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 T, plus 1 tsp butter or olive oil

Filling Ingredients

¾ c ricotta cheese, part-skim

2 tsp butter or olive oil

½ c diced onion

½ c diced red or green pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

5 oz cooked and drained ground beef (weight after cooking)

1 ½ c diced tomatoes with liquid, or 1 ½ c crushed tomatoes

2 tsp tomato paste

2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1- Combine ingredients for crust in a bowl.  Spray a 9” pie plate with cooking spray.  Spread pasta mixture evenly over the bottom and up the side of the pan. 

2- Preheat oven to 350º. 

3- Carefully spread ricotta cheese over bottom of spaghetti crust. 

4- Heat oil or butter in a skillet.  Sauté onions, peppers, and garlic. 

5- Add ground beef, tomatoes, tomato paste.  Simmer on low for 45 minutes to soften meat.  Add a little water if needed. 

6- Spread mixture over ricotta and pasta. 

7- Bake 30 minutes. 

8- Distribute mozzarella over pie and heat until cheese begins to brown, about 10 minutes. 

9- Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before cutting. 

Ever get aggravated by recipes that call for a couple teaspoons or tablespoons of tomato paste?  Look for tomato paste in a tube on the shelf with the other tomato products.  I saw this on Rachel Ray and later bought some at a specialty store, but now they have it at my WalMart Superstore. 

I frequently play with ingredients to match my daily targets for bread or protein exchanges.  For example, if you use 2 egg whites instead of 1 egg in the crust, cut the mozzarella to 1 ½ oz, and cut the ground beef to 4 oz, you will save 2 proteins for the pie, or ½ protein exchange per serving, making it 2 ½ protein exchanges instead of 3. 

Yield:  4 servings with 3 protein exchanges, 1 bread, 1 ½ fat, 1 vegetables

Ingredients

¾ c ricotta, part skim

1 egg, beaten

1 oz shredded mozzarella

½ bag baby spinach, or 1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach

2 tsp parmesan

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp basil

½ Tbsp Lawry’s garlic powder with parsley

4 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 c tomato sauce

Instructions

1- Preheat oven to 350º.

2- In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, egg, and seasonings.

3- On a cutting board or other clean surface, spread out lasagna noodles. Divide cheese filling evenly among the 4 noodles. Spread along length of noodles.

4- Slice baby spinach into ribbons on a cutting board. Wilt in a skillet. Divide and evenly spread on the 4 lasagna noodles. If using frozen chopped spinach, thaw, drain, and squeeze out as much water as possible. Spread evenly along noodles.

5- Place lasagna rolls in a baking sprayed baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce.

6- Bake 40 minutes.

7- Sprinkle with parmesan.

Yield: 2 servings of 2 lasagna rolls with 2 ½ protein exchanges, 1 bread serving, and 2 vegetable servings each.

This recipe is my modification of two great Weight Watchers pasta recipes, Fettuccine and Asparagus in Parmesan Sauce, and Fettuccine Supreme, which has broccoli and prosciutto. 

Ingredients

¾ c ricotta, part-skim

1 c evaporated fat free milk

1 T plus 1 tsp olive oil or butter

8 oz roasted or pan fried boneless chicken breast

3 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion, chopped

2 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 ½ c cooked fine chopped broccoli; drain well if you use frozen

4 c cooked fettuccine

1 oz Parmesan

½ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

Instructions

1- Combine ricotta and milk in blender or food processor and process until it is smooth. 

2- Heat butter or oil in skillet.  Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms. 

3- Add broccoli and milk-cheese mixture.  Heat on medium, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to bubble. 

4- Slice chicken breast lengthwise, then crosswise, so that pieces are about 1 ½” to 2” long and about 1/4” thick. 

5- Reduce heat.  Add chicken, parmesan, salt and pepper.  Simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. 

6- Add fettuccine and stir to coat.  Reduce heat to low.  Heat for 5 minutes. 

Yield:  4 servings of 3 protein exchanges, 2 bread, 1 fat, and 2 vegetables. 

Weight Watchers--My “Old Faithful” Weight Loss Plan

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes-  Feel Full with Big Portions! 

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes-  Great Cold Lunch Ideas 

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes- Healthy Lunch Meals

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes-  Great Recipes for Weight Watchers Pasta 

My Favorite Weight Watchers Recipes-  Weight Watchers Desserts

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