Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Tagliatelle ai Funghi
423 kcal a serving, against 689 for the traditional version. That is 266 kcal off, or 39%, with 24.3g of protein. Serves 4. 25 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Dried tagliatelle tossed with chestnut mushrooms that have been fried in plenty of butter, finished with crushed garlic, double cream, fresh parsley and a heavy handful of parmesan. It's rich, heavy and coats perfectly.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of double cream and 50g of butter out, 150g of quark and 100g of chicken stock in
Double cream and butter are pure fat. Quark gives you solid protein for barely any calories. The stock replaces the liquid volume you lose by dropping the cream.
What it costs you. Quark is completely unforgiving. If you boil it, it splits into a grainy mess instantly. You also lose that luxurious, fatty mouthfeel that only double cream gives you. You'll definitely notice the difference.
400g of pasta down to 300g, and 400g of mushrooms up to 700g
Mushrooms have decent protein for their calories. Bulking out the bowl with them means you can drop a quarter of the pasta without the portion looking miserable.
What it costs you. You eat less pasta. The dish becomes much more about the mushrooms than the carbohydrates. You also have to spend longer frying the mushrooms because 700g takes a while to cook down.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 689 | 423 |
| Protein | 21.2g | 24.3g |
| Fat | 31.8g | 7.7g |
| Saturated fat | 17.3g | 2g |
| Carbohydrate | 80.8g | 65.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.1g | 5.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
The original is undeniably richer. Butter and double cream form a magic combination that quark can't ever truly replicate. But this version still tastes fiercely of mushrooms and garlic, coats the pasta beautifully, and packs enough protein to make it a proper meal rather than just a heavy bowl of carbohydrates. It hits the exact spot a bowl of pasta should hit on a cold, dark evening.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.