Low Carb Pasta with Sausage & Broccoli. 6g net carbs. A classic Italian all-in-one dish that’s quick and easy but also healthy and highly satisfying.
If you’re looking for something different, but still keto-friendly, with minimal time spent in the kitchen, you must try this.
The pasta noodles, fettuccine or spaghetti you use is entirely up to you. My fettuccine pasta #1 is a breeze to make and has only 1g net carbs per 100g serving. But there are other low-carb options you can choose from. Some people swear by zoodles, which are basically shredded zucchini. I do not. No matter how you cook them they remain soggy and will never give you the satisfying bite that pasta delivers.
Other ‘pasta’ alternatives include black bean spaghetti, or edamame spaghetti, although they will add extra carbs. These have a good texture but taste a bit ‘earthy’ and are soy based products, which has a questionable estrogenic effect. Konjac (shirataki) noodles, a.k.a. zero noodles or slim pasta, are my least favourite, with an unpleasant texture that’s difficult to describe (and swallow). I’ve heard good things about palmini noodles, but haven’t tried them yet.
The Best and Easiest Pasta Recipe
Once you discover my fettuccine pasta noodles, you won’t feel the need to buy expensive ready-made replacements. No need for a pasta machine or any special equipment. I highly recommend that you bake several 200g batches, which provide 2 large servings each. Store each batch separately in the freezer, where they’ll keep absolutely fine for ages. When you feel like having a pasta dish, the fettuccine will defrost very quickly at room temperature and taste as good as when you first made them. No need to pre-cook. Just add to your sauce, heat everything up and serve.
How to Make Low Carb Pasta with Sausage & Broccoli
Once you’re cooked and blitzed your broccoli florets and pan-fried the skinless sausages, all you have to do is combine the two, add my pasta and you’re there. It’s really that simple.
The only tip I have for you is to choose the best sausages and check the label for ingredients. For zero carbs, there should be 97% meat content or more. I prefer pork chipolatas or Cumberland sausages, but it’s a case of personal taste.
Feel free to spice-up the recipe however you like.
Enjoy!
- Yield: 2 large portions
- Serving: 1 (half recipe)
- Calories: 813
- Fat: 70g
- Net Carbs: 6g
- Protein: 34g
- 6 chipolatas (or 4 standard sausages)
- 200g fresh broccoli florets (net weight - stalks removed)
- 1 TBSP coarse Himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) - optional
- 100g double (heavy) cream
- 5 anchovies (6 if small)
- 20g unsalted butter
- 200g qk fettuccine pasta #1 (whole recipe)
- fine Himalayan pink salt (U.S. option HERE)
- freshly ground black pepper
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- place the broccoli florets in a pot, add water until they’re submerged, plus the coarse salt and bicarbonate of soda, and bring to the boil (lid on).
- simmer until tender but al-dente (about 3 minutes - use a fork to check), then drain and set aside, reserving 100g of the cooking water.
- remove skin from chipolatas or sausages, cut the meat into 2-3cm pieces and put them in a frying pan together with the anchovies and butter; pan-fry until the sausage pieces are caramelised and the anchovies have pretty much dissolved.
- slice a couple of the cooked florets and leave them aside; put the rest in a Pyrex glass mixing bowl or similar; add fine salt, black pepper, nutmeg and the cream.
- blitz with an immersion (stick) blender (U.S. option HERE) until you obtain a smooth cream; taste test and adjust seasoning to your preference.
- pour the broccoli cream into the sausage frying pan, then add the reserved cooking water as well as the pasta.
- stir over medium high heat for a few minutes, adding a little more lukewarm water if necessary to loosen (qk pasta is quite absorbent).
- once piping hot, plate immediately and garnish with the sliced broccoli florets.
If you don't want to make my qk fettuccine pasta, you could try these, although you'd need to pre-cook them:
Black bean spaghetti (U.S. option HERE)
Edamame spaghetti/fettuccine (U.S. option HERE)
Konjac (shirataki) noodles (U.S. option HERE)
Palmini pasta (U.S. option HERE)
The only way to ensure accurate measurement of ingredients is with Metric Kitchen Scales. Click HERE for the ones I use, or HERE for U.S. alternative.
