People with diabetes can still enjoy pasta! Just remember to choose the whole wheat, higher fibre version, and keep your pasta servings controlled, eating no more than one cup of pasta at a meal.

These pasta dishes, as cooked by Justine Drake on Just Cooking, bring you healthy, heart-warming and easy-to-prepare meal solutions as things begin to cool down towards autumn – brought to you by Pick n Pay! See more of what Justine and the Fresh Living team have been preparing by visiting www.picknpay.co.za

Hummus dressing

• 125ml plain low-fat yoghurt
• 60ml hummus
• 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 5ml ground cumin
• 5ml ground coriander
• 1 dash milled pepper

Method

• Toss salad ingredients together.
• Whisk dressing ingredients together, pour over salad and mix well.

Ingredients

• 500g whole wheat spaghetti
• 400g pilchards in tomato sauce
• 1 glug olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 handful Calamata olives, pitted
• 30ml capers
• 1 handful flat-leaf or curly parsley, chopped
• 1 dash salt and milled pepper
• 1 squeeze lemon juice

Method

• Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
• Drain the pilchards, reserving the sauce.
• Break the pilchards into chunks.
• Heat the oil and fry the garlic and chilli flakes until fragrant.
• Add the reserved tomato sauce and heat. Add a splash of water if needed.
• Stir in the pilchards, olives and capers and cook for a minute or two.
• Add the parsley, and gently toss the mixture through the cooked spaghetti.
• Season and drizzle with a little lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 1 glug olive oil
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 x 170g cans tuna in brine, drained
• Finely sliced peel of ½ fresh lemon
• 1 fresh lemon, juiced
• 125ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
• 80g rocket leaves
• 1 handful basil
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 dash salt and milled pepper
• 500g whole wheat spaghetti, cooked

Method

• Heat the olive oil.
• Fry the spring onions and garlic for a second or two.
• Add the tuna and lemon and stir-fry for two minutes.
• Add the stock and tomatoes and cook for a minute.
• Add all the herbs and season.
• Toss into the hot spaghetti.

Shopping List

The ingredients referred to in the recipes above are available from Pick n Pay:

Pick n Pay is committed to promoting health and wellbeing among South Africans, and employs the services of a registered dietitian to provide food and nutrition-related advice to the public. For all your nutrition and health-related queries, email healthhotline@pnp.co.za or call 0800 11 22 88.