If you love the flavors of Italian recipes but want to cut out the starch and carbs associated with pasta dinners, you’re in luck. Italian food is much more than just pasta and sauces; Italy has a fine tradition of healthy eating which includes many pasta-free and seafood-based recipes. Some of the most basic seafood dishes require nothing more elaborate than some canned tuna, freshly squeezed lemon, extra virgin olive oil and some parsley. Combine these ingredients and place them over spinach or lettuce for a very nutritious appetizer or starter course.

Minestrone is one of the best-known Italian recipes for soup and you can convert this into a pasta-free dish by following all the preparation instructions from your favorite recipe, but simply omit the pasta shells and add more vegetables to the mix.

Main course options without pasta include asparagus and shrimp, and the tried-and-true classic, veal parmigiana. They key to veal parmigiana is the combination of egg, and bread crumbs, plus onion, parsley, and your favorite red sauce. If you’re serving for vegetarian diners, eggplant parmigiana is also a traditional Italian recipe, but you will need some substitutes for the egg and cheese if you are serving vegans. There are plenty of egg-free preparations on the market and a good packet of soy cheese can turn this into a meal everyone can enjoy. The only thing you’ll need to be careful of in the vegan version of this classic Italian recipe is the bread; if it’s made with butter or shortening, you’ll need to find a suitable replacement.

Some people want the texture of lasagna but without the starch. Did you know there are recipes for paste-free lasagna made out of tofu? You can layer this Italian recipe just like lasagna, but remember to purchase ordinary tofu for this healthy alternative, not “silken tofu”. For best results, use absolutely fresh ingredients in this dish, especially if you need mushrooms, garlic, zucchini and other vegetables.

You can also try an Italian recipe for spaghetti using spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles. The texture isn’t exact, but it is very close for this healthy dish. All the other ingredients are the same; you can create your own spaghetti sauce or buy a pre-made version at the store. Try to measure the spaghetti squash in about the same proportions as you would for ordinary cooked pasta; that should give you an idea of how much you need to prepare.

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