Bon Appétit: Broccoli and Cauliflower Creole Pasta

I have decided to showcase some of the delicious meals my wife and I make in a new segment called Bon Appétit. In addition to sharing recipes, I will list serving sizes, number of carbohydrates, and how I bolus for the meal.

The first dish that I want to share with you is broccoli and cauliflower creole pasta. The main spice used in the dish is Tony's creole seasoning, which is very popular along the Gulf Coast where we live. Tony's gives the dish a little kick and makes it very flavorful!

Below are the ingredients and a step-by-step list of how to prepare the dish.

Ingredients

Broccoli and Cauliflower 
Creole Paste

1. Whole grain thin spaghetti (1 serving size = 56g of dry pasta)
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Italian cheese
6. Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning

Directions

1. Chop and wash broccoli and cauliflower. Steam it for approximately 12 minutes on medium heat. 
2. While steaming the vegetables, measure out the number of servings of pasta you want to cook. Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta for 6-7 minutes until al dente. 
3. Pour extra virgin olive oil on the cooked pasta and toss. Amount depends on how much pasta was cooked.
4. Place pasta and vegetables in serving dishes. Sprinkle Italian cheese and *Tony's on the pasta.
5. Serve!

*Tony's is relatively high in sodium, so be mindful if you have high blood pressure or are at high risk of kidney disease. You can buy sodium-reduced or sodium-free Tony's.

Nutritional and Bolus Information

Each serving of the dish has ~41 carbohydrates. I usually measure out 1.5 servings (84g of dry pasta) for myself when we make this dish. Whole grain pastas are higher in fiber and digest slower than white pastas. Therefore, I always use a 30 minute square wave bolus. I have found that I actually need to give a little less insulin for this dish than the number of carbs would suggest likely because of the fiber, but this might not be the case for everyone. My CGM always shows a very small spike over a 30 minute period for this meal and then a gradual decline to normal levels within 1.5-2 hours. Whole grain pasta is low on the glycemic index, which makes it a great choice for people with diabetes.

Bon appétit!