Low-carb and keto pasta recipes

Low-carb and keto pasta recipes

By , medical review by
A low-carb or keto way of eating means giving up or at least cutting way back on starchy foods like pasta, rice and potatoes. Our modern way of eating makes this seem hard and many people eating low carb or keto know that one of the most common questions they get is “What do you eat instead?”

The answer? Food. Real food. Vegetables in different forms make great dishes with all your favorite sauces. Enjoy your Bolognese, Carbonara or Alfredo sauces with zoodles instead of noodles. Thin strips of green cabbage fried in butter makes for another great option.

Traditional pasta is made from wheat flour which raises your blood sugar faster than sugar. By replacing it with a vegetable, you get more nutrients, more flavor and by adding a delicious sauce, enriched with healthy and natural fat, you stay satiated for much longer.

Here are all our top low-carb pasta recipes:

Instead of pasta

Your recipe here?

Do you have a great low-carb recipe that you want to share? We can cook it, photograph it and publish it here on the site, with your name on it. Or maybe you have a traditional recipe you want us to make a low-carb version of. Please send us an e-mail at kristin@dietdoctor.com with your suggestions on how to make our recipes better. Alternatively, leave a comment below.

32 comments

  1. 1
    Sharon Cassidy
    August 2 2018
    what and how do you make ( keto) which seems to be the paste replacement for supermarket paste?
  2. 2
    Maddison
    August 12 2018
    Does anyone have a good gnocci substitute? I absolutely love pasta and have been missing it immensely.
    Replies: #6, #27, #30
  3. 3
    Rodney Nelson
    August 12 2018
    Shiritaki noodles are a good replacement. Don’t cook too long. They get kinda rubbery
  4. 4
    Catherine
    August 16 2018
    I think Jerusalem artichoke pasta is delicious. Our family loves it.
    Reply: #5
  5. 5
    Reply to comment #4 by Catherine
    Mira
    August 16 2018
    If you're referring to artichoke pasta made by DeBoles, it's largest ingredient is wheat which it not allowed on the Keto plan. Even gluten free rice pasta (Tinkyada) is not allowed. Keto followers are supposed to eat gluten free flours like almond, coconut, cashew and other nut flours.
  6. 6
    Reply to comment #2 by Maddison
    Mira
    August 16 2018
    There are recipes online for mozzarella-based "gnocchi" similar to Fat Head pizza dough that you boil and ricotta-based "gnocchi" that you bake. (I haven't made either recipe.) Here are two links:

    http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/fathead-keto-gnocchi-low-carb/

    http://www.mariamindbodyhealth.com/gnocchi/

    (FYI: Maria Emmerich writes Keto cookbooks which are the largest sellers of all Keto cookbooks online).

    Reply: #13
  7. 7
    Dawn
    August 20 2018
    Hi what about Spaghetti Squash?
  8. 8
    Anna A.
    September 1 2018
    Spaghetti squash is incredibly delicious. I eat it with all the usual pasta sauces. Make no mistake, however- it is not and does not taste like pasta. I have tried (and am still trying) to just accept the fact that some foods have to be permanently eliminated from a healthy human diet. I do not try to make substitutions (they will invariably disappoint you.) The selection of acceptable keto-friendly foods and recipes is enormous- there is so much we CAN eat. But old habits and ways are hard to break and change. I am not completely there yet (I still look enviously at my friends' fettuccine alfredo). But I know my body is thankful for my choices.
  9. 9
    carol
    October 22 2018
    so can I use spaghetti squash in a recipe in lieu of pasta? How high in carbohydrates is it? Thank you
  10. 10
    Debbie
    January 12 2019
    Highfalutin low carb does a "pasta" comparison that are "keto friendly". He gives the links to the recipes also to try. Works for chicken noodle soup so might be okay for a pasta dish if needing that "taste or texture".
  11. 11
    Tom
    January 16 2019
    Any suggestions for a meatloaf filler?
    Replies: #12, #16, #37
  12. 12
    Reply to comment #11 by Tom
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 17 2019
    Here's a good meatloaf recipe on our website.
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/bacon-wrapped-keto-meatloaf
  13. 13
    Reply to comment #6 by Mira
    Janice
    January 26 2019
    Mira, I'm trying this for sure! thx for sharing
  14. 14
    Rosemary Smith
    February 18 2019
    Does anyone use Carbquik ( may not be spelling that right) baking mix? I know two people who swear by the stuff. Is it legal?
    Reply: #15
  15. 15
    Reply to comment #14 by Rosemary Smith
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 19 2019

    Does anyone use Carbquik ( may not be spelling that right) baking mix? I know two people who swear by the stuff. Is it legal?

    We do not recommend any of the low carb bread mixes that use wheat. We have recipes for keto friendly breads on our page that are a much better option.

  16. 16
    Reply to comment #11 by Tom
    Patti
    February 20 2019
    I’ve used crushed pork rinds in place of the bread crumbs. Delicious!
  17. 17
    Billie Shelton
    March 26 2019
    Spaghetti squash is tasting better and better to me!
    Be creative!
  18. 18
    Megan
    April 7 2019
    I make cottage pie with ground beef carrots peas and a brown gravy instead of potatoes I mash a cabbage place it on top of ground beef mix after it's cooked cabbage all over the top then top it with sharp shredded cheese and place in oven at350. For 45 minutes delicious!
    Reply: #19
  19. 19
    Reply to comment #18 by Megan
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 8 2019

    I make cottage pie with ground beef carrots peas and a brown gravy instead of potatoes I mash a cabbage place it on top of ground beef mix after it's cooked cabbage all over the top then top it with sharp shredded cheese and place in oven at350. For 45 minutes delicious!

    That sounds delicious! With the carrots and peas, that may work if you are eating a more moderate or liberal low carb diet but is likely too high carb for keto.

  20. 20
    Theresa Lepiane
    May 16 2019
    Mashed Turnips work well as a potato substitute. They don't taste like potatoes--sweeter and a little bit of a cauliflower taste, but not as much as cauliflower itself. Lots of butter works well, and I'm always under my fats ratio, so lots of butter works well.
  21. 21
    Liz
    May 16 2019
    Use pork skins..
  22. 2 comments removed
  23. 24
    Angelique Abel
    August 28 2019
    Help!!! I need a breakfast substitute that is egg and breadless, but convenient to be able to eat on the go. My job is floater (traveling last minute to fill in where needed). My staple in the past was pre-cooked sausage and cheese on an english muffin, bagel, or wheat bread. Any suggestions would gladly be taken into consideration.
  24. 25
    Shelly-Ann Danglade-Miller
    September 12 2019
    Egg muffins
  25. 1 comment removed
  26. 27
    Reply to comment #2 by Maddison
    Ashley
    February 4
    Trader Joe's has a cauliflower gnocchi that I like a lot!
  27. 1 comment removed
  28. 29
    Annette O'Carroll
    February 28
    I make corned beef hash with frozen cauliflower (1 whole pack) well cooked, 1 carrot, 1 small onion and 1 tin of corned beef. Steam the carrot and cauliflower till soft, mash over heat to dry out a little, add pepper and butter and stir in fried onion and tin of corned beef. Would feed 4 but my son eats a lot, so it does for 3 in our household, lol.
    My son has just been trying keto because I've been on keto for about a year, so I've been making him try at least a spoonful of everything I cook and he is slowly coming round to the idea that some of it's actually quite delicious. He's 24 so I told him if he won't try it, I won't cook, lol :)
  29. 30
    Reply to comment #2 by Maddison
    Dana Ormerod
    April 8
    I have made gnocchi from a recipe I found on Pinterest.
  30. 31
    Deb G
    May 15
    So is spaghetti squash Keto yes or no nobody's giving an answer I love spaghetti squash simple tender and very inexpensive but I'm worried that it's not keto friendly I've seen this asked two or three times without an answer please advise
    Reply: #32
  31. 32
    Reply to comment #31 by Deb G
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    May 15

    So is spaghetti squash Keto yes or no nobody's giving an answer I love spaghetti squash simple tender and very inexpensive but I'm worried that it's not keto friendly I've seen this asked two or three times without an answer please advise

    Spaghetti squash has about 5.4 net carbs per 100 grams. It can be a good option for those who are low carb or keto.

  32. 33
    g.simos
    June 5
    Can the net carbs of soy been pasta really be as low as 1.7 per serve
    https://slendier.com/product/soy-bean-organic-fettuccine/
    Reply: #34
  33. 34
    Reply to comment #33 by g.simos
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    June 5

    Can the net carbs of soy been pasta really be as low as 1.7 per serve
    https://slendier.com/product/soy-bean-organic-fettuccine/

    That does seem low compared to similar products. There may be a different ratio in the soybean flour to water.

  34. 2 comments removed
  35. 37
    Reply to comment #11 by Tom
    Donna
    August 11
    Parmesean cheese, ground pork rinds, ground protein puffs, these all taste great in meatloaf and meatballs!
    Reply: #38
  36. 38
    Reply to comment #37 by Donna
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    August 11

    Parmesean cheese, ground pork rinds, ground protein puffs, these all taste great in meatloaf and meatballs!

    Oh yes, they do!!

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