What to serve with pasta dishes? Healthy and delicious tossed salad! Hands down our favorite side to serve with all of our pasta dishes is a healthy tossed salad. Let’s take a look at what a healthy salad looks like and a few homemade dressings. Healthy salads are easy to prepare if you use a bagged lettuce mix and toss in your favorite chopped veggies. Salad toppings have come a long way so take a look at a few different choices: what to put in healthy salad.
Good Pasta Sides the Whole Family will Love
So, What to Serve with Pasta Dishes that everyone will love? Here are some of our favorite suggestions on what to serve.
- Healthy Tossed Salad
- Garlic Bread or Garlic Breadsticks
- Fresh Coleslaw
- Side of Ricotta Cheese
- Shaved or Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
- Meatballs – Basic Beef Meatball – Turkey Meatballs
- Cooked or Grilled Sausage
- Roasted Garlic Broccoli – Baked Broccoli
- Cucumber Salad
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- Sauteed Kale with Lemon
- Breaded Chicken
- Leftover Meatloaf Slices
- Fresh Sautéed Spinach with Lemon and Olive Oil Served in a Bowl
What are Healthy Sides for Pasta
A healthy side for pasta would be a tossed salad that includes lots of fresh vegetables. You could also add some steamed broccoli or asparagus to the salad with a little lemon and olive oil dressing. Cut carrots and red pepper into slivers and soak in a small amount of Italian dressing for about 20 minutes. Toss on slivers on to your heathy mix of salad greens. Lightly salt & pepper and a little Parmesan cheese. Don’t forget the black or green olives and some red onion
Coleslaw is a healthy side made with fresh cabbage, grated carrots and some homemade mayonnaise.
Instead of bread with butter, use a homemade bread and a healthy dipping oil. Oil with fresh herbs, a little minced garlic and a hint of Parmesan Cheese.
Healthy Mixed Green Salad with Fresh Marinated Vegetables.
Healthy Salad with Arugula, Sliced Pears, Walnuts and Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
salt & pepper
whisk all ingredients together and pour over salad
Serve a delicious and simple Caesar Salad – Learn how to Make a Caesar Salad in a Bag.
Oven Roasted Garlic Broccoli Served on a Platter with Fresh Lemon, Olive Oil and Shaved Parmesan Cheese.
Preheat your oven to 425°. Cut broccoli into florets and let dry. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a small cup along with (jarred) minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Toss broccoli with olive oil mixture and then lay broccoli out on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once.
We definitely love our garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread. Making this fresh is simple and does not require a lot of time. You can start your oven garlic bread about 10 minutes before your pasta recipe is ready to go on the table.
How to Make Homemade Fresh Garlic Bread
- 1 loaf of French bread, halved lengthwise and cut into 2″ slices
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (from a jar)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small dish or cup, combine butter, garlic and a dash of salt, microwave until butter is melted. Brush butter mixture over cut sides of bread. Place bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 6-8 minutes. Broil for about 1-2 minutes or until tops are browned.
Here are a Few of our Favorite Pasta Dishes
Pasta Fredda – Fresh Pasta
Ground Beef and Tortellini
Penne Pomodoro
Easy One Skillet Egg Noodle Lasagna
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