When it comes to weight loss, many people shy away from pasta, assuming it’s incompatible with a healthy diet. However, with the right ingredients and preparation, pasta can be a nutritious and satisfying option.
One recent recipe making waves in social media is the viral Turkish Pasta recipe that TikTok influencer Anna Paul introduced the world to. This dish combines simple, wholesome ingredients with bold Mediterranean flavors. To make things better, Ilana Muhlstein, a dietitian and fitness coach who lost 100 pounds, showed us her version that makes this dish even healthier and a “10/10.”
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Viral Turkish Pasta
Ingredients: 1/2 small cooked spaghetti squash, 4 oz ground beef, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp salt, divided 1/2 tomato, a handful of chopped parsley, 1/2 cup Greek or dairy-free plain yogurt, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp butter or dairy-free butter, 1 tsp paprika, lemon (optional).
Ilana’s trick is to replace high-fat and high-carb ingredients with low-fat and high-fiber options.
She first starts by browning the meat in a pan but adds no oil to cut back on excess calories. The meat itself will release oils that she says are “enough.”
She adds curry powder while it’s browning to get rid of that “meaty” taste.
While Anna used Greek yogurt, Ilana opts for plain, unsweetened, unflavored coconut yogurt. She then grates “tons” of garlic into the yogurt for lots of flavor. “I’m going to do two to three cloves for half a cup,” she notes. Finally, add a pinch of salt to the yogurt and mix.
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Spaghetti Squash As A Healthier Alternative
“Along my weight loss journey, I made a lot of swaps,” she says. This time she’s sticking to the same rule by using spaghetti squash instead of pasta as the carb. This will reduce the amount of calories while also offering more nutrients.
To do this, she puts the entire squash in the oven, and 45 minutes later, it's “nice and soft.” Once cooled down, you can remove the seeds and fork out the strands onto a plate.
For the butter sauce, she melts some vegan butter in a pan and adds tons of paprika powder.
To assemble, top the spaghetti squash with the garlic yogurt, crispy beef, pour the butter sauce over it, and add a bunch of tomato slices for more veggies, parsley, and some lemon wedges on the side in case you want to add more flavor. Enjoy!
