This 3 recipes for pastas are high in iron, therefore I am aiming this post at my cycling category, since they can be a great dinner after a day in which you had a hard ride.
Heme iron, the one found in meat, is encountered in the highest amounts in the sea food. You might not be a big fan of seafood. But if you need to boost the iron in your blood or increase the red blood cells in your blood to transport more oxygen when you desperately need it, these 3 recipes might come in handy. I am trying to combine them with a decent amount of veggies, since their micronutrients and are always good for recovery. So here are my 3 ideas for pastas high in iron:
1. Pasta with mussels in tomato and red wine sauce served with salad
For this pasta you might want to buy ready boiled or frozen mussels. Don’t buy them alive like me and shout in the kitchen while cooking them. Their sea taste can get pretty strong even for me so how I tame that down is with red wine. In a bit of oil saute an onion cut julienne until golden, add the mussels (as many as you want), pour some red wine and let it simmer until it evaporates. Add some tomato paste, let them infuse for 2 more min and they are ready to be mixed with your favorite pasta. Add some salad, a generous squeeze of lemon and they are ready to go!
2. Spaghetti with canned anchovies and rosemary
Anchovies is an acquired taste, trust Fry on that. Unless it is the last can in the history, you should totally try to start eating them, they are a great and cheap source of iron and zinc. This recipe is super easy as well Saute one red onion in a bit of oil, add some freshly cut rosemary, 6-7 anchovies for one piece and a good squeeze of lemon. It will look like a paste. Add the boiled pasta in with a tiny bit of extra liquid, season with pepper (no salt, since the anchovies are usually very salty) and more lemon juice and they are ready to be enjoyed!
2. Pasta with shrimps and Brussels sprouts
I hear many people being traumatized by Brussels sprouts. That is because they ate them incorrectly. If you want to know the science behind these sprouts, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Q4RRjNveE.
Long story short, start frying the sprouts cut in half with the belly down in a cold pan. Add 3-4 tbsps of olive oil and cover it for 5 min with a pan and then cook without the pan for 3 more min. They will be golden and sweet and an amazing vegetable from now on. Now all you need to do is to warm up the boiled shrimps (I buy them boiled already and clean the shell). Mix it with your favorite pasta and season with lemon juice, parsley and pepper.
So these are my go to pastas that are high in iron and the dishes I choose when I need a carby dinner. I agree that they are not for everybody and sea food can be tricky , but you know!”No one likes them at first, but they’ll grow on you”. Just make sure not too much, so that they don’t go extinct. 😉