Pasta can be a great cholesterol-friendly option for dinner if you choose high fibre varieties, stick to sauces that are low in saturated fat, and serve it with cholesterol-lowering foods.

Cholesterol-Friendly Pasta Options

The best pasta options for a low cholesterol diet are those that contain no more than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g, and at least 6g of fibre per 100g. These are my favourites:-

• Garofalo Wholewheat Fusilli
• Barilla Wholewheat Spaghetti
• De Cecco Wholewheat Penne Rigate
• Biona Wholegrain Spelt Penne Pasta

Cholesterol-Friendly Pasta Sauces

For shop-bought sauces, look for ones that contain less than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g, and ideally no, or low, added sugar. For example:-

• Barilla Napoletana Pasta Sauce
• Heinz Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
• Holland & Barrett 8 Plant Pasta Sauce
• Mr Organic Chilli & Garlic Passata Sauce
• Barilla Olive Pasta Sauce
• Sainsbury’s No Added Sugar Tomato & Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce

Cholesterol-Lowering Foods to add to your Pasta Dishes

I replace at least a third of the suggested pasta serving with cholesterol-lowering foods, like beans or vegetables. I heat them up with the sauce in a saucepan, then add the pasta, mix it all up and add salt and pepper.

These are my favourite cholesterol-lowering foods to add to pasta sauces:-

• Tinned pinto beans
• Tinned butter beans
• Tinned lentils
• Grated carrot
• Chopped kale
• Spinach
• Grated courgettes
• Olives

Cholesterol-Friendly Pasta Accompaniments

Unfortunately full-fat grated cheese can increase cholesterol, but you could try a low fat version, like Eatlean, which is low in saturated fat and high in protein. Alternatively you could add other low cholesterol protein options to your sauce, for example:-

• Cooked chicken breast meat
• Cooked turkey breast meat
• Tinned tuna
• Cooked flaked salmon

You could also serve it with cooked veg, like sliced courgettes or broccoli, or with a simple salad, with cholesterol-lowering nuts/seeds sprinkled on top.

Cholesterol-Lowering Pasta Recipes

If you have more time, try one of these low cholesterol recipes:-

• Asparagus & lemon spaghetti with peas
• Low fat turkey bolognese
• Spaghetti with sardines and cherry tomatoes
• Healthy spaghetti bolognese
• Spicy mushroom pasta
• One pot chickpea pasta

Other posts you may like:-

• Tips For Lowering Your Cholesterol Naturally
• The Ultimate List of Cholesterol Friendly Desserts