Spaghetti has played a major role in the movies, from the scene in the 1960 movie, "The Apartment," in which Jack Lemmon as C.C. Baxter prepares the noodle by straining it through a tennis racket and delivering it with a backhand swing into a serving bowl, to Julia Roberts as Liz Gilbert in 2010's "Eat Pray Love" as she discovers the sensual pleasure of slurping up strands of marinara-coated pasta.
We'd like you to get as much enjoyment from your next dish - and so here are our tips on picking the perfect pasta.
1. Choose 100% whole wheat or 100% multigrain pasta, any that is made from only chickpeas, soba (buckwheat), quinoa or brown rice, or use a kitchen gadget to create strands of delicious zucchini, carrot or sweet potato "spaghetti."
2. Don't overeat: Stick with one serving. That's 2 ounces, or half a cup, of pasta. It's plenty when you top it with a saute of veggies (artichokes, sliced carrots, asparagus, broccoli, spinach), garlic, onions, tomatoes, EVOO, whatever herbs appeal - basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro - and a dash of red pepper flakes.
3. Try a yummy alternative to red meat sauces: lentil Bolognese. The recipe is at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/recipe-lentil-bolognese.
4. Want to know how good for you the serving of pasta is? The Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy says to divide the total grams of carbohydrates in a serving by the grams of dietary fiber. If it's less than 10, you're in the good nutrition zone.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit sharecare.com.
(c)2020 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.